Category: Journal

28.3.15

– What if Kierkegaard had married??
The sexual lives of philosophers

– Moment of truth:
In every person’s life, there comes a time when they must choose if they will be the crucified or the crucifier!
You can no longer be neutral.
That’s when, just for a second, all the grey clarifies into pure black & white……!

– Spiritual promiscuity & sexual exclusivity

– Spouse – can you be just my friend for a while (without the usual complications of marriage)??

– The more you tighten your grip, the more I try to wriggle out!

– Highly original people often have disastrous marriages.
True or false?

– “Beautiful Day” by Joshua Radin

– “All Over” by Cruisr

– “Believe in me” by Michelle Williams

– “Boys Latin” by Panda Bear

– “Breaking Through” by Tear Out the Heart

29.3.15

– Evil (spiritual)
Sin (moral)
Crime (legal)

– Palm Sunday
The praise (of men) before the Passion (social rejection)
&
The vindication (by GOD) after the Passion (spiritual forsakenness)
Is your worship more like the Hosannas (of the crowd) on Palm Sunday, or is it more like the Hallelujahs (of the disciples) on Easter?
Does your worship come out of your own need to be blessed & saved, or does it flow out of the vision of divine victory & glory?

– Jesus
Vs.
Christianity

– Why is sexual morality integral to the ethic of (almost) all the major world religions?

– Programs without process are in vain.
And process without decision is in vain.

– temerity

– How do we deal with this (apparent) absence (of the sense) of GOD in (my) religion today?

– Miraculous answer to prayer
&
Spiritual conversion
What is the value & relevance of one’s personal testimony as a divine message to other people?
How would (the theology of) someone like Robert Capon or Peter Rollins or Stanley Hauerwas respond to such a powerful personal story of divine/supernatural intervention??

– 2 Kings 19:30 – “And the surviving remnant shall again take root downward & bear fruit upward.”

– Conversion – intellectual understanding, emotional appreciation & volitional surrender

– “The goodness of God leads you to repentance”

– How shall we get away with it if we neglect such a great gift?!

– “For this is the will of GOD, your sanctification”

– “For you know what (teaching) we gave you in the Lord Jesus”

– 1 Thessalonians 4:8 – “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but GOD, who gives you the Holy Spirit.”

– “But in your hearts, sanctify Christ as Lord…”

– World – The people
World – The (Satanic) systems/powers
World – The created natural order

– Consecrated body, gifts & relationships

– Chance
Vs.
Choice

– Discussion (trying to seek the truth together)
Vs.
Argument (trying to prove I am right & you are wrong)

– The one who pays the price alone has the right to forgive.

– “Hey, this is what happened!”
“Oh! But since I don’t know how such a thing could happen, I cannot (will not/should not) believe that it happened.”

– Consecrated is not the same as sinless.

– Faith > discipline

– The crucified ego – the transformation of the interaction between the superego & the id so that Christ (instead of your same old self) is formed in you!

– Try crucifying yourself!

– Faith in the truth is what saves, not any amount of sincere or skilled effort!

– Believe, live, practice & preach

– Trying –> tiring

– How do you renew a tree from the root upwards, without killing it?

– Transformation
Insurrection
Revolution

– Converted
Consecrated
Commissioned

– missive

– snide

– disparage

– invidious

– trolling (online)

30.3.15

– Accredited programs

– Fearless questioning, creative imagination and disciplined reorientation

– Misunderstandings and disagreements

– Co-counseling – “getting on with life wholeheartedly”

– Skills – communication/conversational, interpretative/interventional and relational/inter-personal

– Befriending, counseling & social support

– Vocational counseling and spiritual guidance

– Maybe he should be a sort of pioneer in exploring these uncharted waters, and then take her along after he has initially tested the unknown, exciting and dangerous terrain. But this must be done with a lot of patience and tact, otherwise it could backfire badly!

– Non-judgmental empathy

– The counselor’s mentor

– Theories and techniques

– Intra-personal conflicts and defences

– Experiential understanding

– Free Internet access
WOW!

31.3.15

– Sucicide bomb – I have to (brutally & courageously) do for others around me, what GOD has (so selflessly & graciously) done for me!
I love you, that’s why I must be myself for you, and therefore leave you, to find yourself……

– Utopian
I am!

uto·pi·an \-pē-ən\
adjective
Usage:  often capitalized
– 1  : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a utopia; especially  :having impossibly ideal conditions especially of social organization
– 2  : proposing or advocating impractically ideal social and politicalschemes
– 3  : impossibly ideal : visionary
– 4  : believing in, advocating, or having the characteristics of utopiansocialism
First use: 1551
Synonyms: idealist, quixotic, quixotical, romantic, starry, starry-eyed, idealistic, visionary
Antonyms: clear-eyed, clear-sighted
Synonyms: Don Quixote, dreamer, fantast, idealizer, ideologue (alsoidealogue), romantic, romanticist, idealist, visionary
Antonyms: hardnose, pragmatist, realist

2utopian
noun
– 1  : one who believes in the perfectibility of human society
– 2  : one who proposes or advocates utopian schemes
First use: circa 1873
Synonyms: idealist, quixotic, quixotical, romantic, starry, starry-eyed, idealistic, visionary
Antonyms: clear-eyed, clear-sighted
Synonyms: Don Quixote, dreamer, fantast, idealizer, ideologue (alsoidealogue), romantic, romanticist, idealist, visionary

utopian
adjective
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality 
Synonyms idealist, quixotic, quixotical, romantic, starry, starry-eyed, idealistic, visionary
Related Words impractical, unrealistic; crusading, messianic, zealous; dewy-eyed, moonstruck, moony, sentimental, tender-minded; hopeful, optimistic, Pollyannaish (also Pollyannish), rosy, upbeat; doctrinaire, ideological (also ideologic)
Near Antonyms hardheaded, hard-nosed, tough-minded, unsentimental; practical, pragmatic (also pragmatical), realistic
Antonyms clear-eyed, clear-sighted

2utopian
noun
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection thanby the real world
Synonyms Don Quixote, dreamer, fantast, idealizer, ideologue (alsoidealogue), romantic, romanticist, idealist, visionary
Related Words emotionalist, sentimentalist; daydreamer, fantasizer, woolgatherer; Micawber, optimist, Pollyanna; do-gooder, reformer; perfectionist; doctrinaire, theorist, thinker
Near Antonyms cynic, defeatist, pessimist; empiric, empiricist
Antonyms hardnose, pragmatist, realist

– What would the world be like if every human being was totally free (from all social & moral constraints)?!
Would it be Heaven or would it be Hell??

– amphibology \am-fuh-BAH-luh-jee\
noun
: a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way
Examples:
Still feeling some of the effects of her recent cold, Tara was bemusedby the amphibology on the café’s menu: “Try our soup—you won’t get better.”
“I have started an amphibology collection: my favourite to date is the garage that advertises its services with the words: ‘Why go anywhereelse to be robbed?'” — Jonathan Ford, Financial Times, July 27, 2012
Did you know?
A venerable old word in English, amphibology is from Greekamphibolos (via Late Latin and Latin). Amphibolos, from amphi-(“both”) and ballein (“to throw”), literally means “encompassing” or “hitting at both ends”; figuratively it means “ambiguous.” Amphibologyis an equivocator’s friend. An editor who has been sent an unsolicitedmanuscript to critique, for example, might reply, “I shall lose no time in reading your book.” Or a dinner guest who feels the onset of heartburnmight say something like, “Ah, that was a meal I shall not soon forget!” But amphibology’s ambiguity can be unintended and undesirable as well, as in “When Mom talked to Judy, she said she might call her backthe next day.” (Who said who might call whom back?)

– Time to stop talking (about stuff, to others) & start living out (what is inside me, before others), irrespective of the consequences.

– Cut off all the vestigial organs from the body, (even) before it causes (any more) problems!

– Is the next stage of my evolution beginning?! This will probably be the bloodiest, maybe even more than my (physical) death!
Enough of trying to do your best within the current limitations, it is now time to throw all caution to the wind & launch out into the whirlwind……
Absurdist fideism!
Nihilistic humanism!
Material Christianity!

– Putting the material (physical, biological, sexual) over the immaterial (social, moral, structural)!
The psychological/spiritual is formed at the interface of these two levels (epiphenomenon?).
Material existence is always better than non-material existence. And of course, existence is always better than non-existence.

– Push-back

– The Real is encountered (momentarily) when the Imaginary trumps the Symbolic!

– Abstinence from a small thing –> indulgence in something far greater!
Oh WOW……

– The spring is fully wound… now just waiting for the release – it will be something to behold!
Recoil & rebound……….

– Sanctification
Or
Sanitization?

– The labour is almost over, just keep pushing. Once the delivery is over, you will be relieved! So move towards what you anticipate – don’t stop in between…

– Feeling sick,
Feeling sad,
Feeling afraid….
The flesh screams “Stop!”, & the spirit whispers, “Push on.”

– Grace = GOD’s love for me
Faith = my love for GOD
1 –> 2

– Shock therapy!

– Psychonaut

1.4.15

– Unnerving
Enervated

– Faith conflict:
Cross/event
Vs.
Bible/words

– Truth is that set of theories & practices that cultivate the perspectives & attitudes that are most beautiful & beneficial to all!

– CSF & seminal fluid
The emasculated mind!

– If you refuse to respect my privacy, then I will take it forcibly, by zealously protecting my space from any interference!
Yes we are married, but my body does NOT belong to you. It is solely mine, & I share it with you voluntarily, because I love you as my spouse. What I do with my body is none of your business, my dear!
But for the sake of my integrity & the common good, I will (try to) do what you require (for now)…

– Social order
&
Divergent individuals

– Rebel without a (non-controversial) cause!
“Purposeless malcontent”

– I am torn between ripping the old life apart & going after a totally new kind of existence, or just reforming the old way to function better in the future……

– “Master of the barbed aside”

– Gnomic

– Etiolated

– I took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, my score was 16/40. So I am not a narcissist, but my score is higher than 65% of the population.

– zany

– From tolerance to accommodation (Awakening with the Brahmakumaris)

– Sex:
Male – physical lust
Female – soul lust!

– Beginning:
Sadhu Sundar Singh
End:
Osho

– I want to deal with crises (e.g. Marital) in a different way from most other people, so that I can see for myself, the fruit (both the bitter & the sweet) of the alternative option!

– It is always harder to choose the long-term, radical solution than the short-term, superficial adjustments!
But if you are strong enough, you will (ultimately) reap richly……….

– When the older/stronger/husband releases the younger/weaker/wife, it is not only about the child becoming independent, it is also about the parent overcoming their need to take care of (protect, provide & guide) the other!

– I am very comfortable with my mother (most of the time), because she is also independent, like me. And when I am with her, I feel I can breathe free (psychologically), because she doesn’t suffocate me (with so-called affection)……

2.4.15

– Stay together for the marriage,
Stay together for GOD,
Stay together for the kids,
Stay together for the parents,
Stay together for the society……

– What is marriage according to you?
What is marriage according to me?
……Now, let’s decide if we can live together!

– When a couple starts talking about duty & mores, love has long gone out of their relationship!

– Dependence (on the other) –> demanding (from the other) –> retarding (of both)!

– Let us make the (necessary) change!
Let me die so that I might live anew, again……

– Internal conviction
Vs.
External compulsion
The former always wins!

– I MUST do what (I believe) is right, even though (I feel) I CANNOT do it! When this truth grips me, I WILL do it.

– Radical Grace + Liberal Theology + New Age –> ?!
Can an orthodox Christian devotion be integrated (or at least reconciled) with this new radical spirituality??

– Whoever said “The show must go on” is a great fool!
The show may end, but life still goes on……

– Hey bro… you should either be a wild tiger or a domestic cow, you can’t forever stay a domesticated tiger!

– Eucharistic miracles & the real, personal, corporal presence!

– “It is not for you to know now what I do for you!”
But you will understand, when you do the same for others…

– What happens when the Judge becomes the scapegoat??
It decisively ends the era of absolutist morality & ushers in the age of humanist ethics!

3.4.15

– There is a charity, humility & sacrifice that lies on the OTHER side of freedom, dignity & privilege. Have you even glimpsed that yet??
These two are NOT contrary sets of values, but complementary ones!

– Rites of passage:
GOD sets himself free of the burden to be our parent/master, & consequently, we are also set free from the role of being his children/servants!

– According to me, psychological independence (even in marriage), is an essential part of adulthood. Financial dependence is okay, if it is within one’s own immediate family.
Because healthy individuality is threatened only by the former, & not by the latter (if it is not accompanied by psychological complications).
Financial capacity is always only a matter of external necessity (when current resources are not enough to meet needs), but psychological independence is an intrinsic value, irrespective of the social context!

– The Passion – be feisty, until the end!
Life & truth is always worth fighting for. Never give up on what you believe & love, and you will surely be vindicated.
Be good, no matter what the cost, & your destiny will be beautiful!

– Loving others by being oneself,
Loving others by doing things for them,
Loving others by having a common life.

– Women in a masculine world,
And men in feminine relationships.

– The woman stresses the need for the man to be financially self-supporting, & the man stresses the need for the woman to be psychologically (more) independent.
What is the theological/philosophical perspective on this issue? Or is it a matter that is purely subjective/relative?

– How can I try to help you to be healthy & happy without compromising my central values, and how can you do the same for me?
We are NOT supposed to be trying to meet each other’s needs!

– Holiness = holistic health!

– She says he is selfish, & he says she is worldly……

– My parents’ money can be mine too, but a husband’s body/emotions cannot be the wife’s also!
Certain things can be held in common, but persons are always primarily individuals.

– Maybe I should also become immune to the criticisms of near & dear ones, just as I have insulated myself against the attacks of outsiders!

– Only John’s Gospel (high Christology) has the feet-washing!
Only the synoptic Gospels (low Christology) have the Transfiguration!
WOW

– The Venus Project

– The woman:
Value – Social status/financial security
Offensive label – whore
The man:
Value – psychological independence/sexual freedom
Offensive label – beggar

– Good Friday – “We are not meant to admire Jesus for his wonderful suffering, but be deeply disturbed by the Cross of Christ!”

– What is the opposite of ‘prude’?
Immoralist!

– “Real life has to be lived without habits.
You have heard, again and again you have been told, “Drop bad habits.”
I tell you: Drop habit as such! There are not good and bad habits:
all habits are bad. Remain without habits, live without habits; then you live moment-to-moment out of freedom.”
“I am a spiritual playboy!” – Osho
No-thought for the day.
Zorba the Buddha!
No-mind
“Irreverent, wise, humorous, crazy, and ultimately very sane.”

– Consciousness –> joy –> love

– “The light of life”

– Awareness = freedom!

– bistro

– If religion, morality, etc. can be used in such a way that they become hindrances to accessing GOD, then HOW do we view & use them in such a way that they remain open avenues?

– “What you have only heard,
You will now see.
And what you have not heard,
You will now understand.”

– “Who will move the stone for us from the mouth of the tomb?”
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

– Anastasia

– “He who lives & believes (in me) will never die… ”
Only what follows resurrection can be called Life!
“She is only sleeping…”

– “Death only has the power that you give to it (through fear)!”

– Fullness of life = Joy + love + knowledge

– Jesus is the only one who predicted his own resurrection!

– Holy, almighty, immortal one

– Children of promise,
And the grace of adoption.

– Air – Spirit
Water – Church/sacraments
Fire – suffering
Soil – death

19.3.15

– “O the beauty of the human body!”
Vs.
“Shame, shame, puppy shame!”

– As I go along in my personal journey, I seem to be changing into another species totally different from all the others around me……
Hmmm… So how can this (crisis) be handled??
Should I move to another society/culture more conducive to my temperament & outlook? Is that a cop-out? Didn’t Socrates refuse (silence &) exile?

– Herd mentality
Vs.
The vocation of the gadfly
Just because someone has beliefs that are shared by the majority of people, does that mean that person is a ‘sheep’?
Just because someone has eccentric views, does that mean that person is a great or excellent person?

– “There is nothing natural about becoming or staying Christian!”

– Distinguish:
“I am Christian”
Vs.
“I am a Christian”

– Responsible risk-taker

– This world appreciates & rewards qualities which have nothing to do with (someone like) me……
Commitment, loyalty, dependable, consistent, dedicated, helpful, GOD-fearing, etc.

– Prayer-partners, collaborators & sponsors

– My blog title photo – the real Word (books) in the background, & reflected life (door) in the foreground……

– How is it that we experience solitude in a crowded park?!

– Disclaimer: I am not a role-model, I am a thought-leader & life-guide. I provoke & educate, so don’t admire or imitate, just listen & (selectively) assimilate……

– When life doesn’t pose (external) problems, then we manufacture our own (internal) challenges!

– Am I a mean & cruel person?
Am I a monster?
Am I a narcissist?
Am I a psychopath?
Am I a sociopath?
Am I utterly selfish & corrupted?

– Specialist functions – grumble, murmur, complain, lament, nag, upset, tantrum, quarrel, anxious, insecure, envy, possessive, dependent, demanding, etc., etc., etc.

– The offence of misery!

– Unfeigned

– Which is more terrifying – suffering or death?
Is death the ultimate suffering or is it the end of all suffering?
Is there life after death? If so, what is it like?
Is there life before death? If so, what is it like?
Is there death during life? If so, what is it like?

– The LORD our maker is the great king above all Gods!
What does it take to test & prove this GOD?
My very heart & soul!

– “Be telling of his salvation from day to day…”

– My job is to make people more independent, self-motivated & disciplined…
So that they no longer need me (as they used to), for their growth!

– Worshipping the LORD
Vs.
Fear of the Gods

– Empowering by ascribing honour!

– Gospel-judgment
Behold, He comes
To set all things right!

– “Worship the LORD, all you powers!”

– “Be grateful for the remembrance of his holiness.”

– “John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true…”

– “Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.”

20.3.15

– Distinguish:
M.P (Parliament)
&
M.L.A (Legislative assembly)
Bicameral legislature

– Surreptitious

– Painted history

– Misogynistic levity

– A damp squib

– Lampoon

– “I know GOD better than I know myself.” –  Arthur Vogel

– I still don’t think that the time is right for me to do ‘outreach’ or extend the breadth of my ministry……
Yes, that time might never come!

– I will from GOD & to GOD,
I will for myself,
And I will with others.

– “GOD, Prayer & Healing – Living with God in a world like ours” by Arthur Vogel
Could this be one of the best/greatest books I have ever read?!

– “How difficult is it to be Rahul (Gandhi)?”

– “I know GOD better than I know myself.” –  Arthur Vogel
Therefore I know neither of them well enough!

– I still don’t think that the time is right for me to do ‘outreach’ or extend the breadth of my ministry……
Yes, that time might never come!

– I will from GOD & to GOD,
I will for myself,
And I will with others.

– “GOD, Prayer & Healing – Living with God in a world like ours” by Arthur Vogel
WOW…
Eminently quotable – could this be one of the best/greatest books I have ever read?!

21.3.15

– Lord, deliver me from the stranglehold of this ‘ministry mentality’!
This transition from doing/activity/impact to being/lifestyle/influence really feels like death…..

– Where do you derive your sense of identity (& significance) from?
If it is anything or anyone around you, then you’re done for!

– What if there comes a time when there are only 0 people in my ministry circle?!
Hmmm…… That is not possible, because there will always be at least one (me)!  😉
And I will (if I can help it & by Grace) always have at least one other ongoing genuine friendship –  good enough for me!

– Google doodle

– He/she who is never willing to be the villain can never become the hero/heroine!

– Sex tourism
Wiki Sex Guide

– “Theorizing Bruce Lee”!

– Philosophical Nunchakus

– Interpellation

– Identity Studies

– Anti-disciplinary

– Foregrounding

– Discursive fields

– Caravel

– The other face/body

– Fetishistic

– Pugilism

– Interimplicated
Chiasmus

– The constitutive encounter with the other”

– Liminality
Inter-culturality

– Fixation
Prepossession

22.3.15

– “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
In thee our fathers trusted, & were not disappointed…

But thou, O Lord, be not far off!

You who fear the Lord, praise him (in the great congregation).
For he has not despised or abhorred our affliction,
And he has not hid his face from us!

All the ends of the earth shall remember & turn to the Lord,
For dominion belongs to the Lord.”

WOW! Because he has participated in our suffering-death (& conquered), we are saved……

– GOD is the only one who knows us utterly from within!

– He speaks, & shows himself, to us through our own (inspired) words!

– He puts his awesome praise into my mouth!

– How do the suffering of GOD, the confession of our sin & the remembrance of death go together?

– The Kingdom of GOD ~ the fight to set men free

– The GOD-forsakenness of Christ crucified – when you seek to have compassion on another, you must turn your face away from your own (vicarious) suffering!

– Blame it all on the Devil.
Why does Jesus also play this game along with us?!

– We need a new hamartology & demonology!

– WHY does GOD allow the weeds to be planted among the weeds, & WHY does he allow them to grow together even after knowing about the enemy’s work?

– How will I know if I am a child of the Devil?

– It is NOT our job to identify & separate the good people and the bad.

– Distinguish:
The critical thinker (curiosity)
&
The rebel without a cause (pride)

– The weeds within the Church & the wheat in the world…

– What does it mean to lie to GOD? Is it even possible? Do I do this?

– Mat. 13:26 – when… then…

– Darnel

– Mat. 13:29 – No! Not now, because I greatly value the wheat. It is better for 10 guilty people to escape than for 1 innocent person to be punished.
Discernment (distinguishing truth & falsehood) is an arduously patient task! The one who can wait will ultimately succeed.
So continue to grow in BOTH the Evangelical AND the Liberal traditions…

– The sinfulness of mankind & the silence of GOD

– So should we also allow the weeds to grow, corrupt & weaken our communities & institutions??

– Truth as open secret & esoteric knowledge

– GOD is a material socialist & a spiritual capitalist!

– 2 contrasting problems in Ministry:
Quantity without quality
&
Quality without quantity
What can be done about this? Should the 2 different groups join hands in order to complement each other?

– Objectification – define, control & use.
Subjectivize! Subjectivize! Subjectivize!
Amen.

23.3.15
– Self-medication

– Observed Earth Hour today, from 9:25 – 10:25pm

– Nonevent

– “ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ” – Mark Twain

24.3.15

– BBW

– 101

– Proteas

– southpaw

25.3.15

– I ought to do what I want
Vs.
I want to do what I ought
I must do what I can
Vs.
I can do what I must

– Why is Peter Rollins single??

– True wisdom is as far from knowledge as it is from ignorance!

– First of all, I must learn to embrace my own brokenness!
Only then can I even attempt to love (another)…

– Who would I be, & how would I live, if there were no external demands or constraints placed on me? What would happen if I sought to express myself with absolute freedom??
Living purely out of internal needs & desires.
But what about faith & values?
Only one who has experienced the freedom to express oneself fully can identify what he/she is willing to work toward & suffer for!

– No marriage,
No ministry,
No work,
No social duties,
What remains?!

– If religious devotion is the assimilation of the id by the superego, then what would the assimilation of the superego by the id be?!

– The wife wants the husband to provide her with a sense of security & stability? But what if marriage itself is a house built on sand?!

– What happens when you tamper too much with the floor on which you’re standing?
But is there no way of seeking truth & protecting yourself as well?

– The economics of spirituality

– What is gained by destroying all these props?
And what is lost by preserving these crutches?

– No more teaching, mentoring or counseling.
Only living, learning & loving!

– I can no longer be obliged, accountable or answerable to another person! It is time I set all those around me free (from me) as well……

– The familiar has such a vice-like grip upon me! A new or different mode of existence is almost unimaginable……
After all these grand, radical thoughts, & some small wild attempts at change, I find myself automatically returning to the same old arrangements again & again & again!
Am I doomed to this merry-go-round??

– I don’t know what I really want.
I don’t know what is most valuable to me.
That is why I must get rid of everything else, so that I can figure out myself a little better.
I can’t be playing all these diverse social roles as I go on this spiritual adventure!

– What do you do when you realize that someone close to you needs you badly, even though you are not that dependent?
How do you deal with this relationship, especially when your inner nature is raring to break free & run wild?

26.3.15

– I want to understand why & how India’s performance in the cricket World Cup has been so different (much better!) from their latest tour (of Australia)…
Maybe it’s just NOT playing against Australia!
I think this semi-final is proving that thesis. India looked so great in the World Cup this far, only because they were NOT playing against their nemesis…
– Why are people (male & female) threatened by beauty (especially feminine or erotic)?!

– Trying too hard can be a big obstacle to winning!

– Do you know how to adapt your game to the match situation?

– Do you know how to ‘pace your innings’ well?

– What you hate to watch is your team playing lethargically & carelessly! You don’t mind supporting them when they’re playing with intensity & intelligence, and then go on to lose…
So how do you want to live out your days??

– What is most lacking in my life now is a string of hard-working days!
I think I have over-compensated to the busy lifestyle of my culture, but maybe that is necessary when you are so grossly outnumbered……

– Smarmy
Anodyne

– “Capitalizing on one’s own dramatically enhanced brand equity…”

– “Invent your own career”

– Brand – an identity or image considered to be an asset

– Pushing the boundaries of a particular field, & then leveraging those new ideas into broad public influence

– Do something everyone else in your field thinks is dumb, and be right about it.

– Intentional ignorance & closed-mindedness is as dangerous as it is unethical!

– Virality

– Moniker

– Infosphere
Page ranking

– Watching (almost) the whole match today was definitely NOT worth it (even if India had won)!
Why should I be a spectator & cheerleader for someone else, when I could be playing my own game?!

– The pulpit descending to the level of the pew
Vs.
The pew being raised to the level of the pulpit
Vs.
The pulpit digging deeper under the level of the pew!

27.3.15

– In spirituality, all negligence (witting or unwitting) is criminal!

– Always ask: How does this theory/perspective affect attitude/practice?

– Study:
1. Liturgical/Biblical
2. General – Newspaper, course, book, brain-training
3. Specific – personal issue-based
4. Preparation for ministry meetings
5. Random

– Atomistic literalism
Vs.
Contextual interpretation

– Commentaries:
Philological
Vs.
Homiletical

– Faith as radical doubt of all systems & structures, that also maintains the great value & significance of life!

– A scientific study of the Bible

– Jewish
Vs.
Christian
Vs.
Islamic

– “The Guide to the Perplexed”

– Synthesizing & harmonizing the various voices gone before us, and finally integrating them into our own orchestra!

– The erosion of (almost all!) shared assumptions

– No critique, no progress!

– Zohar

– What is the difference between mystical & allegorical interpretation?
Allegorical interpretation includes discovering the hidden moral, theological & mystical/spiritual/cosmic meanings of the text.

– Pastoral care = leadership + teaching + preaching + counseling

– A sophisticated culture finds the Scriptures alien, obscure & crude!

– Biblicism
Vs.
Spiritualism
Vs.
Intellectualism
Vs.
Existentialism

– The ancient Liberals!

– Apostolic succession, rule of faith & anarchistic interpretation

– The lawyer
Vs.
The philosopher

– The prophet
Vs.
The apologist

– The priest
Vs.
The poet

– Traditionalists
Vs.
Radicals
Vs.
Moderates

– GOD = creation = salvation = resurrection = evolution = light = love = truth = beauty = goodness = life!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=180870CE1FA1D60B!618&authkey=!AOYAD4DeuYPlwtA&ithint=folder%2c

11.3.15

– Start using dash before separate entries.

– Humans are naturally promiscuous, and possessive! But the promiscuity is more primitive (biological). Possessiveness seems to be a later evolutionary development (psychological) due to the introduction of monogamy (religious/cultural)…
Is morality nothing more than the by-product of the dynamic interaction of religion & culture?

– Psychologizing the Gospel
Politicizing the Gospel
Philosophizing the Gospel
Spiritualizing the Gospel
Naturalizing the Gospel
Culturalizing the Gospel
Socializing the Gospel
A robust & evolving Theology is necessary to help us do ALL these things with maximum faithfulness to the significance of the original revelation!

– Ministry for the sake of personal spiritual formation, instead of the other way around!

– Each age/culture is conducive for a certain type of person. This society is most unfavorable for me & my kind!

– Do all these (so-called) ministries have eternal value? Does mine?
“And he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’ ” – Luke 16:15
Can one also say that what is despicable in my society/church is eternally glorious?!
You are those who use religion to justify yourselves, but that is not going to change your ultimate destiny……

– Mary – the humanity of Jesus, the motherhood of GOD & the femininity of mankind (including me)!

– Spiritually, what is your category & caliber?

– What place do I have in GOD’s world?
What place does the Kingdom have in my life?

– How & why does religion become so ungodly/inhuman?!
– Is it wrong to (want to) be sexy?

– If the body is more than clothing, & life more than food, then is the pursuit of sexual pleasure better than the ambition to become rich?
How is lust different from, or similar to, gluttony?
In sexuality, virtue/utilitarian ethics functions better than deontological/legal ethics!

– Extensive justification for expanding the Torah through creative, radical reinterpretation!
Clarify & contemporize

– Bring him before GOD ~ bring him before the elders/priests/judges

– Exodus 31:14-15 – “It is holy for you” ~ “It is holy to the LORD.”

– Leviticus 25:42
For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.
In Christ, the inclusion of (non-Christian?) Gentiles in the prohibition of slavery!

– Chronologically, the story of Esther comes after Ezra-Nehemiah!

– Citizens – native & adopted

– Religious law, church dogma, theological understanding, spiritual wisdom

– Exodus 31:13
“You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.’ ”

– Knowledge –> skill –> virtue –> wisdom!

– Hyper-careful – over-reading of the Text!

– How is it like to be circumcised without anesthesia?!
Worshipping this God ALWAYS involves sacrifice, because he takes great delight in our sufferings for His sake!

– Heavenly drama
Canonical stories

– “Saved from Sacrifice: A Theology of the Cross” – Mark Heim
“We are not reconciled with God and each other by a sacrifice of innocent suffering offered to God. We are reconciled with God because God at the cost of suffering rescued us from bondage to a practice of violent sacrifice that otherwise would keep us estranged, making us enemies of the God who stands with our victims. We are reconciled with each other because, at the cost of suffering, God offered us an alternative to our ancient machinery of unity. So long as our peace depends on scapegoats, we are never truly reconciled with each other. We only appear to be one community until the next crisis, at which point the short straw of exclusion will be drawn by some one or more of us.”

– What could be more important than a good theology of atonement?

– I want a perfect body.
I want a perfect soul.
Can I get/have both?

– It is the lack of happiness that drives people in search of GOD/eternity/perfection……
So be it, for it is good!

– I must find a life-giving system, and become a slave to it. Then I shall be saved!

– I must urgently, seriously and radically reform my whole idea & practice of entertainment!
Sanctify the Sabbath!!!

– Praying
Vs.
Ogling

12.3.15

– “What’s broken is stronger when it mends!” – Joshua Radin
So now you know how one grows! Hmmm… You thought it would be less painful  😉

– I wanna get things done AND live in the moment,
I wanna attain perfection AND have fun,
I wanna be very disciplined AND be fully free,
I wanna be a master AND a slave,
I wanna be in control AND be swept away,
I wanna achieve greatness AND enjoy each day.
There is no other way to be saved, but to find out how one can do/have BOTH – now here is something worth dying, or rather living, for!
AMEN.

– Add burpees to my exercise regime

– Freak-out days:
Sunday
Tuesday
Thursday
Saturday
Working days:
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Only 3 days a week working?!
Hmmm…… Just alternate days starting from Sunday  😉

Rules for freak-out days:
No meat-eating. Food moderate quantity. Ice-cream & chocolate allowed only on weekends (Saturday & Sunday). Porn only on alternate freak-out days (max. one session of 1 to 1 & half hours in 4 days). Do the time-bound (alarmed) chores only. Lenten abstinence to be observed. Otherwise you are absolutely free! Continue SFG meeting on every 4th Saturday, & church on every Sunday (St. Luke’s twice a month & AMC first week of every month), except the weekend of the SFG meeting.
A little work (urgent chores) might have to be done on freak-out days.

Rules for working days:
Only fruit diet. 1 hour rigorous exercise. 4 hours study. Wednesdays fasting with 15 min. exercise. Check calendar & do all chores. No afternoon nap. Ministry activities.
No entertainment or relaxation on working days.

Follow contemplative rhythm (Zen Habits) on all days!

A system that encourages spontaneity & nurtures creativity, but is also goal-oriented & character-forming!
But will this just make me more indulgent and selfish?? Well, I will have to try it & see what happens……
So no more one month annual vacation, right?
😉

– Start training in a sport, music or martial art

– Movies:
“The 36th Chamber of Shaolin”
Taking Theology out of the seminary, to equip & empower the laity! Otherwise the war is all but lost……

13.3.15

– Maybe I should just listen (more attentively & reverently) to my own body/emotions instead of being controlled & directed wholly by some artifical rule/system!

– The challenge of leisure & the problem of boredom

– What are the innumerable ways in which we hurt ourselves, others & the world, by “kicking against the goads”?
There is a way in which the drive to change & improve things can become a dreadful curse!
Why can’t we just let each other be??
What is really wrong with us is NOT our faults & defects, but the fucked up way in which we deal with this fallen reality……
REPENT
……NOW!
But HOW do we change this inborn/ingrained attitude??!

– When you play music as ‘background’ keep it at a much lower volume than when you are actually listening to it. Turn it off whenever you are thinking/reading/writing.

– Time to take charge (by letting go)!
READY?

– Sexuality = romance
Sex = marriage bed
Love = possession
Relationship = family
WOW! What a neat & sick fantasy……

– “So, Mr. Joseph, what do you do?”
When will I have the guts to say I do nothing. Or I just live. Or I observe, think & learn (and also share)? Or I explore & experiment spirituality (or the art of living)?
Who I am will always be more (& to a certain extent, even other!) than what I do.
Actually, ‘Christian ministry’ as my answer to the original question would be a lie/facade now! Am I bold to get & stay naked, in public?? Or would I rather not be myself than embarrass/offend others closely associated with me, or would I instead take the risk of exposing the emperor’s new clothes (contemporary social/cultural/religious/moral conceit & vanity) by stripping myself down first?!

– Tummy/belly – is it harder to be like G. K. Chesterton or to be like Bruce Lee?  😉
If I am all about being spiritually original/authentic, then why should I try to imitate someone else’s body alone?

– Reclamation of homo sapiens will be an arduous exercise in exhumation! Get on your masks, folks… We’re going deep down & far back……!

– “What I’ve felt,
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown.
Never be.
Never see.
Won’t see what might have been.

What I’ve felt,
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown.
Never free.
Never me.
So I dub thee unforgiven.”

– “Was he the one causing pain
With his careless dreaming?
Been afraid,
Always afraid
Of the things he’s feeling
He could just be gone.
He would just sail on,
He would just sail on…

How can I be lost?
If I’ve got nowhere to go?”

15.3.15

– “Bad writers tend to have the self-confidence, while the good ones tend to have self-doubt.”

– Movies:
“Thirst”
What about sexual vampirism??
He remains a ‘priest’ (devout Catholic) forever, irrespective of his will!
Contrast this intractable priesthood with the accidental fatherhood of “Flowers of War”…

“Ragamuffin”
What are the differences & similarities between St. Francis’ & Rich Mullins’ story?
Was Rich Mullins (or Brennan Manning) a ‘saint’?
What are the differences & similarities between Rich Mullins’ story & mine?

17.3.15

– Iconoclastic anarchist!

– Attack the sacred cow(s)…
But won’t that get you killed?!
Hmmm… even so, would that cure this people of their superstitions??

– Muslim: the Hindus are idol worshippers!
Hindu: the Muslims are cow slaughterers!

– Conservatives: the Liberals are immoral & proud intellectuals!
Liberals: the Conservatives are timid & childish folks!

– Exploration + experimentation = evolution!

– I am being torn between an idealism moderated by pragmatism, and a radical utopian vision that is both terrifying & irresistible!
What should I do??
Cost-benefit analysis
Vs.
The leap of faith

– Has this relationship reached its expiry date??
Nothing can last forever, right?
Isn’t change (including death) the essence of life itself?
It is often the hardest thing to throw away something that one cherishes (& strongly sanctioned/indoctrinated to revere), even when it has rotten……

– I am also torn between my flesh (desire for physical survival & social acceptance) and the spirit (the drive to sacrifice all for the sake of certain passions & values)!

– My dreams for the future
Vs.
Her pitiful predicament

– Do you remember the impassioned speech of the heroine at the deaddiction meeting in the movie “Nymphomaniac”?
Never forget it!  ;-l

– icon·o·clast:
noun
– : a person who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted
Full Definition
– 1  : a person who destroys religious images or opposes theirveneration
– 2  : a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions
Examples
– notorious as an iconoclast, that music critic isn’t afraid to go after sacred cows
Origin: Medieval Latin iconoclastes, from Middle Greek eikonoklastēs,literally, image destroyer, from Greek eikono- + klan to break — more at clast.
First use: 1641
Synonyms: bohemian, boho, counterculturist, deviant, enfant terrible, free spirit, heretic, nonconformist, individualist, loner, lone ranger, lone wolf, maverick, nonconformer
Antonyms: conformer, conformist
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs

Related Words freethinker; character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, freak, kook, nut, oddball, screwball, weirdo; eight ball, misfit, outsider; aberrant, anomaly

Near Antonyms adherent, follower, supporter; sheep

– lib·er·tar·i·an:
noun
– : a person who believes that people should be allowed to do and say what they want without any interference from the government
Full Definition
– 1  : an advocate of the doctrine of free will
– 2 a  : a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action
– b  capitalized  : a member of a political party advocating libertarian principles
– libertarian  adjective
– lib·er·tar·i·an·ism noun
First use: 1789

– ec·cen·tric:
adjective
– : tending to act in strange or unusual ways
– : strange or unusual
– : not following a perfectly circular path
Full Definition
– 1 a  : deviating from an established or usual pattern or style

– b  : deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct, especially in odd or whimsical ways

– 2 a  : deviating from a circular path; especially  : elliptical 1

– b  : located elsewhere than at the geometrical center; also  : having the axis or support so located

synonyms see strange

– ec·cen·tri·cal·ly \-tri-k(ə-)lē\  adverb

Origin: Middle English, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Greekekkentros, from ex out of + kentron center.

First use: circa 1630

Synonyms: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, odd, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky (also kookie), offbeat, off-kilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum [chiefly British], screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out, weird, weirdo, wild

Synonyms: character, codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter [British slang], oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany, odd duck, piece of work

eccentric:
adjective
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

Related Words aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky; extraordinary, fantastic (also fantastical), freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric (or phantasmagorical), phenomenal; atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted; conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking; atrocious, outrageous, shocking; crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox; baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling

Near Antonyms average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday; conformist, conservative, conventional; expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable; common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

eccentric
noun
a person of odd or whimsical habits

Synonyms character, codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter [British slang], oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany

Related Words bohemian, maverick, nonconformist, quixote; coot, geezer; curio, rarity; freak; fantast, fantastico

Phrases odd duck, piece of work

Near Antonyms conformer, conformist, follower, sheep

– an·ar·chist:
noun
– : a person who believes that government and laws are not necessary
Full Definition
– 1  : a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
– 2  : a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy; especially  : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order
– anarchist or an·ar·chis·tic \ˌa-nər-ˈkis-tik, -(ˌ)när-\  adjective
First use: 1678

– mav·er·ick:
noun
– : a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group
Full Definition
– 1  : an unbranded range animal; especially  : a motherless calf
– 2  : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
Origin: Samuel A. Maverick †1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves.
First use: 1867
Synonyms: dissentient, dissenting, dissident, heterodox, iconoclastic, heretical, nonconformist, nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox
Antonyms: conforming, conformist, conventional, orthodox
Synonyms: bohemian, boho, counterculturist, deviant, enfant terrible, free spirit, heretic, iconoclast, individualist, loner, lone ranger, lone wolf, nonconformist, nonconformer
Antonyms: conformer, conformist

maverick:
adjective
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices

Synonyms dissentient, dissenting, dissident, heterodox, iconoclastic, heretical, nonconformist, nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox

Related Words free-spirited, freethinking, nontraditional; apostate, defecting, renegade; schismatic (also schismatical), sectarian, separatist

Antonyms conforming, conformist, conventional, orthodox

2maverick

noun

a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs

Synonyms bohemian, boho, counterculturist, deviant, enfant terrible, free spirit, heretic, iconoclast, individualist, loner, lone ranger, lone wolf, nonconformist, nonconformer

Related Words freethinker; character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, freak, kook, nut, oddball, screwball, weirdo; eight ball, misfit, outsider; aberrant, anomaly

Near Antonyms adherent, follower, supporter; sheep

Antonyms conformer, conformist

– Is there a difference between love & pity?
Is compassion different from affection?

– “Peace be with you,
Your peace I take (not) away from you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, but be of good cheer!
It is good that I go away, for if I leave, then (…… the subversive memory)”

– What (kind of) ministry is someone like me supposed to do among a people like this??
Are you willing to risk or sacrifice your marriage, family & ministry for the sake of these (new) views/beliefs?! Is it worth the (high) price??

2.3.15

Maybe I should put only 100% original stuff out there (social networking)

“Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side…” (with me)  😉

Unplug Day!

Movies:
“Days of Heaven”
Rich & poor – 2 different species, & therefore incompatible!
“Hero”
The war to end all wars: Pacifism = martyrdom!

Commonwealth of Nations & inter-faith service

3.3.15

Game-changers

Thinking on your feet
Being on the ball

Improvisation as innovation

xoxo

Skilled ease

Intellectual virtue

Match practice

“Shake your family tree & watch the nuts fall out”

Look at all those people who are so proud of ‘denying themselves’!

Expostulation

Precepts, perceptions & concepts

“Judaism rejects Zionism” – World Jewry!

Briton

“Manasa, vacha, karmana”

We must always emphasize the importance of the overall process of education, with the ultimate goal of enlightenment, social service & total progress.
Only then, preparation for exams, presentations, interviews, etc.
So we can overcome unnecessary anxiety on the day of evaluation/performance!
SHALOM

4.3.15

If someone is not interested in your ministry, does that mean they are not spiritual? Haven’t you yourself said that there are many definitions of, & different ways to, spiritual growth?

When someone is convinced that what they believe is absolutely real, then what is wrong if they also believe that other views are false?!

Living Stream Ministry – Watchman Nee to Witness Lee:
Biblical Jesus-mysticism
Anti-intellectual
Anti-structural
Anti-activistic

Maybe it is not just structural reformation in government, business, etc., but a grassroots-movement of citizen awareness, mobilization and public engagement, that is required to take our country forward.
Next time I am driving on the roads, I should take the effort to converse with the traffic policeman instead of just complaining about his inefficiency!

Comeuppance

Hasidic Judaism
Meaning “piety” (or “loving-kindness”), is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality through the popularization and internalization of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith. It was founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov as a reaction against overly legalistic Judaism. His example began the characteristic veneration of leadership in Hasidism as embodiments and intercessors of Divinity for the followers. Contrary to this, Hasidic teachings cherished the sincerity and concealed holiness of the unlettered common folk, and their equality with the scholarly elite. The emphasis on the Immanent Divine presence in everything gave new value to prayer and deeds of kindness, alongside rabbinical supremacy of study, and replaced historical mystical (kabbalistic) and ethical (musar) asceticism and admonishment with Simcha, encouragement, and daily fervor.

Hesychasm (Greek: “stillness, rest, quiet, silence”)
A mystical tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Churchand Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite practised. The process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God (see theoria).
The story of the system of mysticism defended by the monks of Athos in the fourteenth century. An elaborate system of asceticism, detachment from earthly cares, submission to an approved master, prayer, especially perfect repose of body and will, to see a mystic light; which is none other than the uncreated light of God. The contemplation of this light is the highest end of man on earth; in this way is a man most intimately united with God. There was a regular process for seeing the uncreated light; the body was to be held immovable for a long time… The likeness of this process of auto-suggestion to that of fakirs, Sunnyasis, and such people all over the East is obvious.
Hesychasm then contains two elements, the belief that quietist contemplation is the highest occupation for men, and the assertion of real distinction between the divine essence and the divine operation.

Everyone must have at least one performing art as a regular part of their life.
E.g. Music, dance, sports, theater, writing, drawing, etc.
Mould! Create! Express!
So, what & how is it gonna be for you?

I wish >> I hope >> I want >> I will!

Pleasure/sex is a greater good than wealth/status.
Power > fame

Erotic sages – a new generation of saints!
The future of godliness is total humanity……

Can freedom & excellence go together?
Can submission really produce greatness?

The highest achievement is inward!

Maybe I must be the pioneer of Liberal Christianity in Chennai/Tamil Nadu (outside the seminaries)……!

The function of the gadfly – can it be called ‘ministry’?!
What about the prophetic/critical mode today?

Decalogue – write ten (original) sentences on this topic, that faithfully express what YOU truly know/believe/feel about it.

Maybe we can all coexist physically & even be close psychologically, but it might be better (for all concerned) if we just disconnected spiritually……
What do you say – is that the best possible solution, for now?
We must find a way to be more mutually considerate & hurt each other less, but also learn how to become tougher & deal with the pain more constructively……
Softening the thorn & sharpening the flesh!
No. Let the thorn be the thorn, & let the flesh be the flesh. Can we bleed & still survive, even thrive?

Is it possible to really understand someone whom you find disagreeable or unacceptable?

5.3.15

NWBD – “Not waving but drowning”
Hmmm……

Theopoetics:
“Before the message there must be the vision,
Before the sermon the hymn,
Before the prose, the poem!”
– Amos Wilder

Save/blog book covers, movie posters!

Be very very careful what you put into your mouth – what you eat/digest is what you are!

Jeremiads

6.3.15

Qualia

“Surgery will kill him, but without it he would die…”

Immanence is nothing but transcendence revealed,
And transcendence is nothing but immanence hidden!

Movies:
“Little Women”
I would like to know how the wild one’s marriage (to the philosopher) turns out to be……!
Are wisdom & creativity assets or liabilities, in social functioning?

8.3.15

– “Preserve my life O LORD, according to thy statutes.”

– “The church is the place where we (are enabled to) overcome the pursuit of happiness.”

– “Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law with my whole heart.”
Is understanding the Law important? Yes, but it is useful only to those seeking to observe it.

– The brightest Light blinds,
And the deepest Dark illumines!

– “I delight in thy testimonies,
Incline my heart not to gain.”
O please don’t let me be……!
The moral law as divine testimony

– How does the congregation influence the leader(s)?

– The vision of the divine glory >> love for the Law

– The beauty of the Word – move from movies & music, to novels & poetry!

– “We all are (gonna be) dead, it’s the ride that matters.”

– O save me according to Thy promise! Please don’t forget me or give me what I deserve……

How are pride & anxiety related?
How are indifference & rebellion related?

If I delight in your Law, then why do I need to ask You to turn my eyes away from vanity & my heart from gain?

I long for Thy precepts ~ I long for my salvation

How does His righteousness seem to you?

I seek Thee, BY walking at liberty!

O do not let me ever give up on doing Theology – personally & publicly!

Lent & mission

From cyclical to spiral understanding of life

The will of GOD ~ the promise of life (in Christ Jesus)

The mature man/woman is not the one who childishly depending on GOD, runs to him for everything, but he/she is like a baby who rests blissfully in the mother’s bosom!

Whenever I remember your tears, I long to meet you & rejoice in your company!
Masculine vulnerability & intimacy
WOW!  🙂

“GOD has over-ruled our weaknesses, so that we can live effectively.”
Hmmm……??  ;-l

Vocational clarity >> self-confidence & humility!

Do not be afraid of fanning into flame the gift of GOD within you – it is dangerous yes, but it is also wonderful!

Never stop believing in or preaching about the Coming Salvation (& Judgment).

What is the connection between busyness & selfishness?

Power = self-control + love

Joy through sacrifice
Peace through war
Love through suffering

Endure – actively!

Impotence & incontinence are two sides of the same coin.

It is not:
Life on my terms
Vs.
Life on His terms
It is:
The life of worldliness
Vs.
Life in the Kingdom
From a private-moral to a cultural-vocational understanding of godliness/holiness!

Movies:
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”
Marriage – you reach the point where you would rather kill each other, & then if you survive (physically, psychologically & relationally), you reach the stage of real joy!

“Sex, Lies & Videotape”
The truth about love!?

“The Babadook”
Let anything fester for long enough, & it turns into a lethal monster! Sometimes prevention is the only cure……

“There is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great.” – G.K. Chesterton

Lugubrious

Vaporous ~ cobwebby

Insufferable ~ impossible 

Iridescent ~ opalescent

Controlling principles & underlying reasons

“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” – Anaïs Nin

10:42

18:22

7.2.15
– Do anything whatsoever, but without addiction, deception or coercion.
Evil is bondage, falsehood & violence. Everything else is kosher!
Core values – Freedom, truth & life.
– Spiritual formation & counseling psychology
– “First, they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then they kill you,
And then you win!”
– Movies:
“The International”
If you want justice, then you need to break some rules!
Your ideals
Vs.
The common good
Fatalism Vs. Idealism Vs. Realism
– Choose – would you have the everyday inner emptiness of a routine, respectable job, or the embarrassment of having to answer others occasionally about “What you do”?

8.2.15
– Pray & praise – all day, every day & forever!
Trying to appease & please the majestic & terrifying divinity……?
The infinite beauty & power of the (THIS & each) moment!
– “We are the promise divine,
We are the glorious new wine.”
WOW! Really??
– Never believe the thought that whatever you are doing is insignificant or worthless. That is the Devil’s whisper!
Never give up believing in, & working for, the apocalyptic Gospel, the eschatological Kingdom & the teleological community – irrespective of the scale or style.
Your life will never be in vain, if only you stay the course – persevere!
Amen.
– The structural (cultural & economic) factors that make being a Christian today almost impossible…
What is the spiritual dimension of this conundrum & what will be our response?
– How can busy, insecure & clueless people be ‘witnesses’?
– “So what do you do?”
Changing my answer from’ Christian ministry’ to ‘spiritual work’!
– “The Call to rise, for such a time as THIS.”
– Life
&
Living
– Grow & give, or decay & die!
– Recognizing the signs of the time, paying the cost required & representing what/whom you worship.
– The implicit GOD – read in between the lines written by man, to hear the Word!
– Multi-tasking >> blindness!
– Moving from the emotional & factual, to the rational & volitional, & ultimately to the spiritual!
– Addressing only the mini sub-plots, while the mega big-picture goes unacknowledged!
Your approach (& therefore your diagnosis & solution) is not radical enough.
What is the difference between social work & Christian ministry?
– Awareness of need + self-understanding + faith in GOD =
– Distinguish:
Involvement
&
Engagement
– Realism
Vs.
Reality!
“A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing. ”
– “Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace & rest, but now…
Let sorrow do its work, come grief & pain…”
– Is it possible to be both independent & attached?
– Making the real Jesus known!
– Be an opportunist!
– This world needs me –> I need this world
– Hand-in-hand with the Creator, Sustainer & Redeemer of all things, & with each other!
– No prayer, no discipleship,
No discipleship, no fellowship,
No fellowship, no ministry,
No ministry, no mission!
– Distinguish:
Credulity
&
Credibility
– Distinguish:
The possible
&
The explicable
– Eating limits:
Regular – light/half stomach
Weekends – satisfactory/70%
Feasting – full/100%

9.2.15
– From anti-porn crusade to sex-positive spirituality!
– Incorrigible
– Belief-forming mechanism

– READINGS
10.10.12
– The Good Life – David McCarthy
29.10.12
– Donald G. Bloesch, “A Response to ElmerColyer,” Journal for Christian Theological Research
2.11.12
– Surprised by Joy – C.S. Lewis (audiobook)
13.11.12
– Earning the right to be heard – Anthony Campolo (30 Good Minutes)
23.11.12
Challenges from Islam – Sam Soloman
Dhoni’s wish can prove to be dangerous – Makarand Waingankar
Two deaths & a common chorus – Gopalkrishna Gandhi
30.11.12
The Gospel & Culture in my Religious Life – Susumu Akahoshi (from the book Healer of the Mind)
3.12.12
Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm – foreword, toc & chapter 1 (“Freedom, a psychological problem?”)
4.12.12
Memorialising Thakeray
Wake up & smell the ink – Markandey Katju
Mr.Cool (Dhoni) feeling the heat
The Mahatma’s Strange friend
7.12.12
George MacDonald: Nourishment for a Private World – Madeleine L’Engle
8.12.12
Expulsive power of a new affection – Thomas Chalmers
28.12.12
Introduction to Dostoevsky’s Idiot by Joseph Frank
Consuming Fire by George MacDonald
Mother Teresa’s crisis of faith – Time Magazine
11.1.13
Prolegomena to Analogy of Being
Prolegomena to the Body Politic
Prolegomena in Tribute to Stanley Grenz
Prolegomena to Theology & the Church after Google
15.1.13
Prolegomena to Richer Soil, Stronger Roots
Prolegomena to GOD, Death & Afterlife
Prolegomena to Ecumenics & Mission
Prolegomena to On the Atonement
18.1.13
Rene Girard & Hans urs von Balthasar
Prolegomena to That They All May Be One
Prolegomena to Theological Exegesis
Prolegomena to Theology & Global Conflict
Prolegomena to Theology & Race
Prolegomena to Thology & Art
Prolegomena to Tribute to T.F. Torrance
25.1.13
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology by Eugene Peterson
1.2.13
Christian experience continues – Adam Kotsko
12.2.13
Capitalism as monstrous religion – Michael Lowy
Interview with Robert W. Jenson
Entrepreneurs & money-changers – Morgan Guyton
Theology & capitalism – interview with John Milbank
Contemplation – Catholic Encyclopedia
23.2.13
Change, changelessness & hope – Madhepuraeha
Unforgivable – Nirmal Shekar
Pilgrim’s battle with sloth – John Piper
25.6.13
– Spirituality: theology or philosophy?” – Howard Herman (Proof & Possibility lecture series)
– “Why study philosophy?” – Philip Goodchild
– “Why study hermeneutics?” – Anthony Thistleton
13.7.13
– “Designed for Desire – God’s design for sexuality” (RBC Discovery Series booklet)
28.9.13
The Third Testament – Introduction
27.1.14
– Mind-body medicine – lecture 1
28.1.14
– Metatheology
31.1.14
– Socrates & self-confidence
12.4.13
– Article on Kangana Ranaut in India Today Woman
30.1.15
– Lecture 1 in Philosophy of Religion course “Faith & Reason” by Peter Kreeft

– Readings:
“Five Views on Apologetics” – Introduction & Glossary
– A Liberal apologetic!?
– When the mice are away, the cat will play!  😉
– Most of the people who were responsible for the giant leaps in human history were considered either as villains, lunatics or fools in their time!
– Excuse me, ma’am… How do you manage to live with your spouse, who is spiritually dead, psychologically boring, & socially insignificant?

10.2.15
– The teaching-learning environment
– Knowledge transformation
– System – categories, concepts & procedures
Goals, processes & factors
– Eat primarily for the body/energy, only then for the stomach/satiety & the tongue/taste.

11.2.15
– Update is not always the same as upgrade.
– Why do I always make myself miserable by doing only what I like?!
– I know only 3 things:
1. Survival – it is better to live than to die.
2. Conviction – it is better to stand & fight for something greater than oneself, than to live only for me & mine.
3. Sacrifice – it is better to die for the life of the other, than to just use the world & then leave it a little lesser.
(Maybe only the Christian gospel is sufficient to sustain these eternal values…)
And of course you must enjoy yourself & have a good time in all this!
– Useless, pointless, worthless……….
How do I motivate myself to do anything at all?!
What is all this for: Is it only “much ado about nothing”? Then why all this “sound & fury”??
– “Just do it!” => “Be true.”
– THANK YOU for this (my) beautiful body!
Sex is a wonderful thing. But then, isn’t love essential? Of course! No need to mix the 2 too much…
– Yes, the outdoors is beautiful, but it is also ridden with mosquitoes… Nothing is simple!
– What am I doing to myself?
What am I doing with others?
What am I doing in this world?
What am I doing for GOD?
– If there is anything worth doing, it’s worth doing imperfectly!
– Being good is more important than being correct,
And being correct is more important than being nice,
And being nice is more important than being rich…
– I am not living a contemplative life,
I am not living a scholarly life,
I am not living a ministerial life,
I am not living an athletic life,
I am not living the technical life,
I am not a home-maker,
So what does a little of all this constitute?
I am not a professional…. But what am I?
I am human – just me – Immanuel Joseph!

12.2.15
– Eyes, face, body, mannerism, soul
– Acquire, acquaint, use, maintain, repair, renovate……
– Babudom
Is it OK if I give money to a salaried government official for doing his job? Is that a bribe?? Then how could I ever get things done in this country?!
– Overcrowding – more people should move out of the metros and settle in tier 2 & 3 cities. That is an ethical (& healthy) decision!
– What do I do when my ideals & my strategy conflict?
– Sometimes it takes more courage to run away than to stay the course!
– “How then can we avoid (being found by) GOD?
It is extremely easy – avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track, keep the television on, stay busy.
Concentrate on money, sex, status, health, & above all, your own grievances.
If you must read, stick to the newspapers…”

13.2.15
– Distinguish:
Metro, city, town, village, wilderness
– Profession & hobby
The latter is not a competitor to the former, but a distraction that ultimately facilitates it!
Can this analogy be applied to marriage too??
As hobby or profession?! 😉
– What advantage does the amateur have over the professional?
– Spiritual work – the anti-virus/booster app is unlike all the other apps installed in a mobile…
– He refers to girls he finds attractive as “She is very smart!” 😉

15.2.15
– Meaning – subjective & fideistic!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=180870CE1FA1D60B!540&authkey=!ALecnX2FxlkHw4k&ithint=folder%2c

31.1.15
– Can one be both a theologian, a mystic & a saint?
Can critical thinking, heavenly vision & personal holiness be integrated?
– So what is your USP?
– Movies:
“Rush”
My name is Nikki Hunt! 🙂
“Heat”
Why can’t you just try to be either a wild maverick or a good husband?! I don’t know. I just can’t!

1.2.15
– My parents’ sudden & extreme disillusionment & disappointment with me coincides with the death of my own (former) faith!
– Movies:
“Birdman”
Compare with “Aankhon Dekhi”!
Live life to the full, i.e. passionately – as close to death & as intense in desire as possible – then your philosophy would be actually worth listening to!
Pushing your limits to the breaking point, in pursuit of breaking the outer man, in order to release the spirit……
Why does he shoot himself?
Birdman – he’s finally broken free of the chains of public opinion!
Ignorance IS bliss. But bliss is NOT salvation!
– Fair weather foes & foul weather friends
– They were made for each other.
Yes. But only for one year!
– From “What is the meaning of life?”
To “What does a meaningful life look like?”
– Truth is eternal.
Beauty is eternal.
Goodness is eternal.
The eternal is neither timeless nor immutable. But it is more than just everlasting relevance…
– What do relationships have to do with the search for personal authenticity?
– Escapism & transcendence
Fantasy & cowardice
Deception & resignation
Magic & acceptance
– Distinguish:
Marketing
&
Sales

2.2.15
– There is nothing called a ‘private citizen’!
– Dining prayer – include the environment, agriculture (esp. farmers) & the poor
– Distinguish:
Personal
&
Private
– Movies:
“Zindagi na milegi dobara” (Hindi)
Now I believe I exist!
When?

3.2.15
– “Our reach must exceed our grasp, or what’s a Heaven for?”
– “Meaning is a hard fight for existence.”
– Palimpsest
Insouciance
Oud
Lute

4.2.15
– What the fuck am I doing with my life?!
What should I do? Why? How?
– Bored
Horny
Pious
– Along with personal, family, material & professional, I believe that social/political/cultural (voluntary engagement with any significant issue/question/problem) is another essential dimension of every person’s life.
– Stuff – books, music, courses, articles, movies, plays, serials, websites, social media, pictures, etc. Select the essential collection!
– Tripartite:
Study/learn – broad (as opposed to deep)
Contemplate/reflect – relax, chew & relate
Activities/programs – chores, tasks, etc.
Ingest, digest & practice
– Phased:
Sit still for 5 min.
Close your eyes for 5 min.
Meditative breathing for 5 min.
– A Christian Zen master!
– Study – specialize in the interstices!
The intersection of Theology, Spirituality, Education, Philosophy & Religion
E.g. Philosophy of Religion, Spiritual Theology, Practical Philosophy, Practical Theology, Christian Education, Philosophy of Education, Informal/lifelong learning, Art of living, etc.
Allied fields – get acquainted with the basics.
E.g. Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Theology, Introduction to Religion, Introduction to Spirituality, Introduction to Education, etc.
– Am I ill, or am I depressed, or am I just lazy??
How can I not know?!
Maybe all three! So how do I respond?
Do I just relax or should I push myself or should I act normal?
I am so small, I am so weak, I am so sorry……
– Why should I be unique?
Why should I make a difference?
Why should I be remembered?
Why should I be passionate?
Why should I be purposeful?
Why should I understand?
Why should I stand for something?
Why should I relate to others?
Why should I take care of myself?
Why should I believe there is something more?
– “Leisure Studies”
WOW!  ☺
– Audio porn
Palpable spirit
Hollow mass
– But what do you do when certain activities or periods cannot be classified as neither work nor leisure, or both?!
– Serious fun

5.2.15
– The pleasure of (resting after a day of) hard work!
– “It is better to suffer a little want than to have too much.”
– Spiritual pride

6.2.15
– “I refuse to be consumed by this parasite!
I refuse… what’s draining life…
I REFUSE!”
No compromise.
– Encountering GOD through self-confrontation
Depth Psychology – dig man, dig!
– No porn (or obscene language) this Lent…?
– I should spend the daily time of solitude outdoors or in public places.
– VAT & service tax on repairs
… Fuckers!
– What are some things you would like to do before you die?
Travel all over the world
Learn to live fully in the present
Get a perfect body
Become a spiritual guru & transform a few people forever. Leave the world a little better.
Read all the books, watch all the movies in my essentials list
– Do you have a ‘trophy wife’?
Are you a ‘trophy husband’?
– Multiverse
Cosmology – theoretical reality!
– Distinguish:
Astronomy
&
Astrology
– Extra-curricular activities are NOT optional!
– One of the greatest tragedies of life is that the values on this side of death are exactly the opposite of the values on the other side!
Maybe that’s what makes death so significant…
– “Get busy living or get busy dying!”
Survive & thrive, & enable others to do the same.
Or sacrifice yourself so that another can.
Or “amputation is liberation”……

3.2.15

Passion is where life & death, at their extremes, come together!

Meaning, art & passion!

“The filth is, undoubtedly, the result of apathy on the part of the priests and the administration and, above all, their confidence that the devotees will accept the status quo.”

“Death as threat is the coin of power.”
Distinguish:
Freedom
&
Choice
Enjoyment
&
Pleasure

6.2.15

“For it is better to suffer a little want, than to have too much.”

“Let all of you then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become.”

“Heaven & earth – God’s realm & ours – were meant to be united. God’s desire, from the beginning, was clearly to live with us in the world he had made.”

Tabernacle, sojourn, pilgrim

Readings:
“Philosophy of Religion – Faith & Reason” by Peter Kreeft – Lecture 1
“Key Concepts in Leisure Studies” – Intro. & first entry (Addition of value)

“He is the God made manifest, the universal savior of human life.” – Roman inscription from 4 B.C – referring to Caesar Augustus

Political religion/religious politics
Vs.
The spiritual kingdom/the anointed one

Christians must (be prepared to) take up arms against violent forces like ISIS!

Nature, temple & church

22.1.15
– Some people are very affectionate, but what they demand in return is pure control of the other, mostly through subtle manipulation (emotional blackmail)!

23.1.15
– Mange

24.1.15
– Junta
– Ritual unites,
Ritual consolidates.

27.1.15
– Movies:
“Monuments Men”
What could be more valuable than individual human lives?
A sense of personal mortality is the key to having one’s values properly ordered!
Compare this with the ethic of the Lannister family (from “Game of Thrones”)
To die for a worthy cause is good, even if one is not remembered for it!
– The question/problem/issue of consciousness
– Ignorance ~ abetment ~ complicity!
– Trying to understand anti-semitism…

28.1.15
– “Shahrazad”
– Out of the many, one.
And out of that one, still many more!  ☺
A pregnant, not sterile, unity…

29.1.15
– Why is religious experience so rare (even for those who seek it)?? What does that say about GOD (or about me & my age)?
– Stillness ~ nakedness ~ poverty
– Spiritual reading, the news & everyday living.
Caught, stuck, torn……
– I know I need to make a radical change, but I just don’t know what it is! 😦
– Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Is this life just “much ado about nothing”?
“Told by an idiot, full of sound & fury,
Signifying nothing.”
– Ecclesiastes & ecology
– Why should I care so much about leaving the world a better place than when I found it?
– Does nihilism always lead to hedonism?
And what does hedonism lead to?
If physical death is our final destiny, then what’s the big deal about risking spiritual death while one is still alive?
– Necessary > important
Or
Important > necessary?
– Faith is closer to imagination, than any other (spiritual) human faculty!
– Who am I? > what I am
What I am ➡ who am I?

30.1.15
– Hierarchy – personal inwardness ➡ social roles ➡ cosmic goals
– The body politic & spiritual theology
– Asceticism & community
Mysticism & ecology
Contemplation & action
– “If you want to know God, sharpen your sense of the human.”—Abraham Joshua Heschel
“I don’t think any of us can begin to discover again what religion might mean unless we are prepared to expose ourselves to new ways of being (in our) bodies.”
– What does religion have to do with politics?
What does spirituality have to do with sexuality?
What does prayer have to do with justice?
– It is good that you reflect seriously about Philosophy & Theology, but see to it that it helps you live better, and does not make you irrelevant or inefficient…
– Breathe strong!
– Education as formation!
Religion as spiritual education
– So what are your plans, Joe?? Do you intend to live like this forever?!
No ‘plans’ for now. Hmmm…… No, only until I die!
– The Spirit guides me through the Word, just like a master/teacher guides the student through this complex, resourceful world.
– Now I know how I must study!
Create a folder with only the stuff that are important /necessary to my learning & training, selected carefully out of all the resources that I have already accumulated.
Eclectic, overview & interdisciplinary
Spirituality + Theology + Religion + Philosophy + Education
– Spiritual Theology
Personal Theology
Practical Theology
– Permaculture – an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems
– Eco-villages
Oases of natural living in an artificial world!
Repenting of false sophistication
Sofia
Vs.
Sophism
– Kabbalah
Zohar
– Watch more Indian (esp. Tamil) movies

27.1.15

I must become more focused on certain preset values & priorities, & therefore be willing to offend those around me (if necessary), in order to be true to myself, & love them better!

GOD/spirit – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts (all the elements of life – & death – put together)!

Tetchy

Doppelgänger

Organization + interconnection = integration

30.1.15

Moral grandeur and spiritual audacity

Blessed Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment to God:
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; do with me what You will. Whatever You do I thank You. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures, I ask no more than this, my Lord. Into Your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to You, O Lord, with all the love of my heart, for I love You, my God, and so need to give myself – to surrender myself into Your hands, without reserve and with total confidence, for You are my Father.

In spirituality, only the exemplar can be a teacher!