tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133249482012-02-17T05:05:46.324+08:00I am a Singaporean Christian who completed MDiv degree at Boston Uni School of Theology, and Level 1 Clinical Pastoral Education at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2010. I was diagnosed with advanced renal cancer in the same year. I am now worshiping at Providence Presbyterian Church (长老会恩泽堂) in Singapore. I seek to relate theology to the contemporary world, and to be transformed in the process. You may either call me Swee-Leong (official name) or Arthur (nickname) or 瑞龙 (native name).ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-73831943280944488112011-11-03T19:41:00.001+08:002011-11-03T19:44:14.655+08:00

I remained pain-free for about one week before my tummy’s protein-fluid started returning. The excruciating pain caused by the fluid on my old wound returned as well. This time round, I resorted to using surgical tape to "stitch" the old wound superficially so that they would there will be less pressure tearing at the old wound and this simple method does reduce the pain. I thanked God for

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-51967181755329019472011-11-03T12:23:00.000+08:002011-11-03T12:23:16.596+08:00

I would like to share two paragraphs from Henri Nouwen's Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the long walk of faith, an extract on "what to do" when we cannot solve problems of those we seek to help. More often than not, I have heard Christians utter the magical word "Trust in Jesus Christ" or "Believe in God" to signal the end of a brief conversation (or perhaps the "exit" sign) with the other who

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-23055913831276885292011-10-18T23:22:00.001+08:002011-10-18T23:28:01.387+08:00

In one of my last few academic theological papers, I had to evaluate Paul Knitter’s typology: replacement, fulfillment, mutuality, and acceptance as a framework for inter-faith dialogue in his Introducing Theologies of Religion. On top of that, our class had to analyze why we prefer a certain model or a framework for inter-faith dialogue. This model or framework could be a modified form of the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-48102465625259590812011-10-16T23:08:00.001+08:002011-10-17T23:39:38.833+08:00

I had a minor surgery on 11 Oct’11, to draw out out the excess fluid floating in my stomach. The excess fluid was pressing my liver against my chest and it could be so painful that I felt a knife piercing through the bottom of my left ribcage whenever I exerted strength to switch from a flat to sitting position or when I laid in a flat position. This made sleeping at night for consecutive few

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-60460678909538686702011-09-28T16:47:00.004+08:002011-10-04T23:17:45.157+08:00

The first night after the acupuncture was terrible. I had to position my feet in a baby bathtub while laying on the bed the whole night. I hardly slept well. I felt my feet to be less swollen in the next two to three days. However, whenever I planned to move about, my feet had to be wrapped in tissue papers and plastic bags by my wife or my mother. It was very inconvenient, but at least I felt

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-44586981014124684672011-09-28T16:46:00.001+08:002011-09-28T16:46:39.826+08:00

It started with edema in the mid of August when I noticed my right foot to be swollen after teaching adult Christian education class one Sat morning. The swelling of both my feet coupled with increasing tiredness were telltale sign of the ineffectiveness of my 2nd chemo drug, Affinitor. After I stepped down from my teaching post at Jubilee School of Missions and the Peoples’ Presbyterian Church,

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-70538445642700124982011-09-25T01:23:00.000+08:002011-09-25T01:28:35.432+08:00

  I started switching to Affinitor in the early July when my CT scan done on 28 Jun’11 revealed the ineffectiveness of Sutent (my 1st line of treatment) in managing my tumours. I decided to switch to another oncologist, Dr. Tay, at Gleneagles for 2nd opinion and for more personal advice. Dr. Tay was of the opinion I should also switch medication and knowing my situation, he was able to offer me

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-47154731115649117712011-09-23T21:29:00.001+08:002011-09-23T21:29:22.510+08:00

  I have been asked whether life is meaningful if one were to die eventually. I would say a definite YES. I believe we live to create good memories with our cherished ones, and we leave behind memories while also taking it together with us. Grief is a natural process of detachment. Everyone is bound to attachments which will be naturally followed by detachments. The challenge is to live in the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-37250557032748180072011-09-17T23:59:00.001+08:002011-09-18T00:26:11.750+08:00

There are different types of community life you have probably been part of. There are probably some where you enjoy and you feel like part of its whole. There might also be some where you wish some of the underlying problems could be resolved before the community moves on. There might be a few where hurts and grievances are not given room to be expressed and healing is not taking place.

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-49221566460989378002011-09-03T16:31:00.005+08:002011-09-03T22:39:46.674+08:00

I bought my AIA health insurance policy back in 2002 when I was still in the prime of my health and when I undergoing training as a professional school teacher. My policy underwent some revisions and it is now known as AIA HealthShield Gold Plan A. It was regrettable that I did not find out more from my ex-insurance agent (who has switched to another industry this year) about the the revision and

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-59014298338624493042011-09-02T23:59:00.004+08:002011-09-03T22:39:02.629+08:00

As a cancer patient, I am heavily dependent on health insurance policy. It is unfortunate that I did not buy the health insurance policy that offers the most comprehensive coverage nine years ago, and I did not think about upgrading my policy during those nine years until I was diagnosed with cancer last year. While I was in the US, I had thought of cancelling my hospitalization policy in

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-84499809844924857852011-08-31T20:29:00.000+08:002011-08-31T20:29:45.861+08:00

Other than visiting hospital for regular consultation, blood test, and injection, and receiving short visits from relatives, I have more time to read and to watch TV. In one of my most recent readings, I came across a paragraph by Henri Nouwen in his Can you drink the cup? This small booklet can be divided into three parts: 1) Holding the cup of life; 2) Lifting

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-14924940140193047422011-08-18T12:18:00.000+08:002011-08-18T12:18:58.353+08:00

I went through one of the most trying periods in the last two weeks, but the harshness of my ailments has been softened by God's grace. Two weeks ago, I was still struggling badly with my sleep at night as well as learning to cope with my nausea. I also felt my stomach to be more bloated (I later learnt that my stomach is retaining water from Dr. Tay). It was a

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-39928074694438089742011-08-02T18:31:00.000+08:002011-08-02T18:31:14.658+08:00

A dear old friend. Guozhang, invited me to his place recently for a lunch. He lives in Pinnacle@Duxton, the tallest public housing estate in Singapore, and one of the most unique since Pinnacle incorporates gardens at the 26th storey and 50th storey. The view from the sky garden on the top floor is phenomenal as you could see almost the whole stretch of the southern part of Singapore, the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-55861273274688402312011-08-02T17:08:00.000+08:002011-08-02T17:08:58.250+08:00

When my church pastor, Rev. Tay Hae Dar and his wife Pr. Esther Tan visited me on 13 Jul'11, they felt the prompting of the Spirit to share the gospel with my parents. As I was relatively tired and needed a rest badly, I retired back to my room. Then within the next hour, Pr. Esther informed me through text message that both my parents have accepted Christ! She further informed me their hearts

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-14390344933103340312011-08-02T13:58:00.000+08:002011-08-02T13:58:00.866+08:00

In the last one week, there was a dip in my energy level. I am exhausted more easily, and I am not sure whether it was because of my poor quality of sleep and my constant vomiting as I switched back to my oral chemotherapy (Afinitor) regime, and on top of that, I am taking morphine on daily basis as well as laxatives because the morphine causes constipation. I

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-73898728930273886922011-07-11T22:38:00.000+08:002011-07-11T22:38:14.969+08:00

While walking to the Singapore General Hospital for lunch after my CT scan at National Cancer Center two weeks ago, I passed by a patient who lost a limb, a patient with a tube sticking out of his nose, a patient who can only move about in wheelchair, a patient who need two clutches, etc. I gradually noticed that the hospital is a place of paradox. It is a place where God is absent, but also

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-72591285264727145202011-07-11T22:36:00.000+08:002011-07-11T22:36:16.068+08:00

My latest CT scan on 28th Jun shows that my tumours to be growing and spreading, which means that my current medication is losing its effectiveness, even though I have gained weight and my blood test looks better than it was six weeks ago. I have just switched to another medication called Afinitor, which is also consumed orally and serves to inhibit tumour growth, but is twice expensive

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-25706695320717903272011-07-11T21:18:00.000+08:002011-07-11T21:18:02.539+08:00

以下是我在万民堂长老会6月13日的证道。题目：从复活中认识与渴慕神 马可12:18 撒都该人常说没有复活的事．他们来问耶稣说、 12:19 夫子、摩西为我们写着说、人若死了、撇下妻子、没有孩子、他兄弟当娶他的妻、为哥哥生子立后。 12:20 有弟兄七人、第一个娶了妻、死了、没有留下孩子．12:21 第二个娶了他、也死了、没有留下孩子．第三个也是这样。 12:22 那七个人都没有留下孩子．末了、那妇人也死了。12:23 当复活的时候、他是那一个的妻子呢．因为他们七个人都娶过他。12:24 耶稣说、你们所以错了、岂不是因为不明白圣经、不晓得　神的大能么。12:25 人从死里复活、也不娶、也不嫁、乃像天上的使者一样。12:26 论到死人复活，你们没有念过摩西的书荆棘篇上所载的吗？　神对摩西说：“我是亚伯拉罕的　神、以撒的　神、雅各的　神。”12:27 神不是死人的　神、乃是活人的　神。

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-47874194201366087302011-06-16T18:49:00.003+08:002011-06-16T18:57:42.092+08:00

以下是我6月5日在长老会恩泽堂裕廊聚会的证道。主题：我们敬拜的对象与自由 1.  a) 我们的上帝是主动的创3:8天起凉风的时候，那人和他的妻子听见耶和华上帝在园中行走的声音，就藏在园子的树林中，躲避耶和华上帝的面。9耶和华上帝呼唤那人，对他说∶「你在哪里？」 当亚当与夏娃犯罪后，他们一听见上帝行走的声音就躲避上帝。难道上帝不知道亚当与夏娃躲在哪里吗？为什么上帝要问“你在哪里？”这里让我们看到祂主动寻找迷失的人，主动呼唤迷失的人回到祂面前。上帝在告诉我们祂是主动者，是祂主动寻找我们。我们的上帝是个灵，祂无所不知，无所不在的。我们凭肉眼是看不到上帝的，我们的手也摸不着。若不是我们的上帝主动的向我们显现，我们是不可能认识这位上帝。若不是上帝向我们呼唤，我们也不知道上帝在哪里。唯有知道上帝在哪里，我们才知道自己在哪里。加尔文在基督教要义里说“人若不先思念上帝的性格，继而观察自己，

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-2106847685090461932011-05-30T22:24:00.001+08:002011-05-30T22:25:09.811+08:00

My health has stabilised, though tumours have spread to my liver, left kidney and pelvic bones, my oral chemo drug has brought my cancer under control. My tumours and drug have put a cap on my stamina. I am moving into my 4th chemo cycle (each cycle lasts six weeks). Going for blood test and bone-influsion injection every 6th week, and a CT scan every 12th week have become a

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-56566972785457523142011-05-12T22:34:00.000+08:002011-05-30T22:35:56.061+08:00

This week has been a hot and humid week, but a new week for the history of Singapore. The opposition parties have made the voice of the people clearer during the election, and more members from the Worker's Party were elected into the Parliament at the expense of some capable ministers. At the same time, unpopular member was elected into power as well. This testifies to the strength of our

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-40887077302596294672011-05-04T14:10:00.002+08:002011-05-04T23:27:49.450+08:00

Mr. James Gomez of the National Democratic Party picked on the issue of why our identity card (IC) should indicate our religious affiliation during his rally. He asked whether this is a hallmark carried over from our colonial past, and whether this would undermine our social cohesion. I wonder whether this issue is important in the first place. So far, there has not been any religious

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-81985514135790353452011-05-04T14:07:00.004+08:002011-05-04T23:34:55.872+08:00

I have been observing the arguments crafted by various opposition parties. PAP has been an easy target for opposition parties to attack, but not all opposition parties can come up with better alternative plan. The most common argument picked up by the opposition party is to blame the incumbent ruling party for allowing too many foreigners into Singapore. They argued that the foreigners took

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-15658708133024756112011-05-04T12:48:00.001+08:002011-05-04T14:11:07.374+08:00

Singapore General Election is going to take place on 7 May'11. This election takes place once every five years, and I am really excited to be able to vote again. I was not able to vote in 2006 because my residential zone was part of West Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) represented by five members of parliment. As they had no opposition party to contest against them then, they walked

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-18761078180783257672011-04-28T14:07:00.003+08:002011-04-28T14:22:22.946+08:00

Just as I was pondering the relationship between social concern and the church, I came across the following passages in my reading of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (translated by Ford Lewis Battles, PA: Westminster Press. 1960): Book IV, Chapter 4, Section 7 Fourfold division of revenues ...Gregory speaks even more clearly: “It is the custom of the apostolic see to command

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-716291801561325652011-04-28T13:42:00.005+08:002011-05-30T22:32:18.256+08:00

I am now into my 2nd week of 3rd chemo cycle. God has continued to sustain my health in the last one week. I did not vomit, neither did I suffer any physical pain (due to back or chemo side effect). Sometimes, I forgot that I am a cancer patient if not for my daily chemo, my limited stamina and the large scar across my abdomen. I think my Ambrotose health supplement by Mannatech has helped to

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-44203216270102280792011-04-19T15:39:00.007+08:002011-04-19T22:23:38.144+08:00

老会的崇拜内容通常会包括：1）奉上帝的名聚集，2）宣讲上帝的话，3）向上帝献上感谢，及 4）奉上帝的名差遣。这是一般华人长老会的主日崇拜会秩序： 1. 序乐 (Prelude) 2. 默祷 (Prayer to prepare for worship) 3. 宣召 (Call to worship) 4. 唱诗 (Worship songs/hymns) 5. 祈祷 (Prayer for the congregation) 6. 启应 (Encouragement from Scripture) 7. 唱诗 (Hymn) 8. 读经 (Scripture reading) 9. 证道 (Sermon) 10. 回应诗 (Response hymn) 11. 奉献 (Offering) 12. 报告 (Announcements) 13. 唱诗 (Hymn) 14. 差遣与祝福

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-50449506947386164002011-04-16T16:00:00.004+08:002011-04-16T16:29:18.778+08:00

My CT scan done on 5 Apr'11 shows that my tumours did not shrink, neither did they spread further; except for both my hip bones, to be more precise, my report says "New bony metastasis involving the left ischial tuberosity and the right inferior pubic ramus." Currently, my liver, peritoneal cavity, left kidney, and hip bones show signs of metastasis. I was also informed that Sutent (i.e. my chemo

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-227191034308204222011-04-13T17:56:00.004+08:002011-04-13T18:42:23.361+08:00

I completed my 2nd cycle of daily oral chemotherapy yesterday. I was given Sutent, 37.5 mg for six consecutive weeks as I did not suffer any side effect during my 1st cycle. A normal cycle consists of four weeks Sutent followed by two weeks break. However, during my 6th week of the 2nd cycle, I developed Hand-Foot syndrome. The blisters on my feet multiplied at the pressure points with each

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-15337350486684204512011-03-27T00:02:00.003+08:002011-04-11T13:14:30.735+08:00

There have been some speculations why a big earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster have hit Japan. Some religious figures claimed to know God's will in this calamity and took on the role of being God's spokesperson. Their followers assumed that since their leader or spokesperson is more pious than they are, their leader ought to know God's purpose better than them. However, this is a HUGE

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-75695676023066607182011-01-15T17:33:00.001+08:002011-01-15T17:34:59.005+08:00

PART 2: CHALLENGES FOR MINISTRY (FOR REGULAR CHURCH GOERS, LAY LEADERS AND MINISTERS) Most regular church goers assume that sharing communal narratives with the youths in the church is the sole responsibility of the ministers and the teachers of youth ministry. However communal narrative by virtue of its nature means the narrative of the congregation at large. It is not the minister's narrative

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-9889898291638146222011-01-15T17:32:00.000+08:002011-01-15T17:32:18.184+08:00

BACKGROUND: Singapore Straits Times newspaper has a religious article "God wants youth" on 27 Nov, section D2-16. The writer Lee Siew Hua summarizes the religious community's involvement in engaging the youth. The Protestant Christians receive the most attention among other religious communities. In a poll by Straits Times directed at young people, 25% respondents claimed to have turned to

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-40690127396324013102011-01-07T22:23:00.001+08:002011-01-07T22:23:44.908+08:00

I am attempting to draft a guideline on what to watch out for during home visit to church member who is physically ill. I am writing this because having been trained for parish ministry in a seminary, having visited many patients as a chaplain intern and having received many well-intentioned home visits, I am in a unique place to suggest a guideline. My suggested guideline is not meant to be

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-32388468932978374062010-11-10T18:45:00.001+08:002010-11-10T19:05:13.733+08:00

I find Dr. David Servan-Schreiber’s description of being a cancer patient to be very apt, I entered a colorless world. It was a world where people were afforded no recognized qualifications, no profession. A world in which nobody was interested in what you did in life or what might be going through you mind. Often the only interesting thing about you was your latest scan. I discovered that most

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-73666849543275010092010-11-10T10:50:00.001+08:002010-11-10T11:45:08.170+08:00

I learned the following from my clinical and pastoral education program, and I thought it will be helpful to share with those who are trying to comfort others in needs (and I have pasted them on my Facebook notes on August 6, 2010). Top Ten Not so Very Helpful things People Say to Someone Experiencing the Loss of a Loved One. 10. God needs him more than you do. 9. God gave him this disease in

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-81354666152295770832010-11-09T23:07:00.007+08:002010-11-10T18:56:03.833+08:00

The English writer Julia Darling was suffering from cancer when she penned this: Be direct, say "How's your cancer?" Try not to say how well we look compared to when you met in Safeway's. Please don't cry, or get emotional, and say how dreadful it all is. Also (and this is hard I know) try not to ignore the ill, or to scurry past, muttering about a bus, the bank. Remember that this day might be

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-54429844824837104712010-11-09T22:09:00.004+08:002011-04-13T19:01:15.801+08:00

I have been reading more about cancer from books and medical journals in the last one month than in other month. I found out from a study in New England Journal of Medicine (July 1, 2010 issue) that exposure to CT scan can increase risk of cancer by as much as 1 in 80, i.e. 1.25%. This is contrary to the information given by my oncologist. When I was a chaplain intern at Massachusetts General

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-89930766583915278502010-11-09T13:50:00.001+08:002011-04-11T13:13:09.573+08:00

(T. Colin Campbell, The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted. Dallas, Texas: Benbella Books, 2006. p. 128.) A patient with a heart problem at forty-four years decided to try out Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. ‘s dietary program without any cholesterol-lowering medication, and after thirty-two months, this patient reversed his heart disease and lowered his blood

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-72568568646255058012010-11-08T09:55:00.003+08:002010-11-10T11:36:28.418+08:00

(David Servan-Schreiber, Anticancer: A New Way of Life. New York: Viking Penguin, 2008. pp.112) Both mice without immune system were injected with human lung cancer cells by Richard Beliveau’s research team at Sainte-Justine Children’s Hospital, Montreal. One mouse developed aggressive tumor, while the other had the tumor in check. What’s the difference in their diet? The one that had the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-49035665782892773472010-10-20T23:40:00.000+08:002010-10-20T23:40:56.252+08:00

I am very grateful to the late preacher Ng Eng Eng (黄瑛瑛传道)  for penning down her struggles and prayers with breast cancer before she died in 2005. I found comfort and strength in reading her journal. I am asking some of the questions she had asked, I am praying for the same healing she had prayed for, and through her journal I know I am not struggling alone. I do

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-74361867318830270922010-10-20T23:38:00.003+08:002010-11-10T10:42:19.916+08:00

Those who advocate food and nutrition to manage cancer are not in the mainstream, including Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who is now an esteemed professor at Cornell University in the U.S. But this alternative view is slowly catching on. Unfortunately, my oncologist is in the mainstream and follows a strict protocol on what a kidney patient should do. When I consulted her last Monday 18 Oct, at National

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-25909828389846589522010-10-20T23:35:00.002+08:002010-10-21T18:54:15.749+08:00

I discovered three different approaches to cancer treatment. The mainstream, i.e. Western medicine, believes that cancer can happen to anyone, and the only way to cure it is to kill it. The other end of the spectrum believes that cancer is a result of your diet and lifestyle. If you could change your diet and lifestyle, you could halt and reverse the growth of cancer. However, this is not the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-21390132071270524492010-10-12T11:04:00.009+08:002010-11-10T11:26:12.976+08:00

Recently, I have noticed loopholes in local advertisements, and I would like to highlight some of the pitfalls so that the viewers can be more discreet in selecting products/services. One of the slimming advertisements claims to help the consumer shed 12.8 kg in ten weeks, assuming the consumer loses 1 kg per week. The formula in the slimming pill is supposed to suppress appetite by a certain

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-62040780115190472952010-10-09T14:43:00.008+08:002010-10-09T21:41:39.701+08:00

Ever since I have been diagnosed with cancer, I have been reading books on food, and watched a close eye on the food I am consuming and the food advertisement on TV. I am amazed by how much advertisements the fast-food industry have invested in and the images they portray. Take for instance, to satisfy their customers, one of them has come up with "double-the-size" burger. According to Dr. Susan

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-48019249717354849552010-10-05T14:38:00.004+08:002010-10-05T20:29:23.381+08:00

I have been wrestling with God since I have slowly regained my strength after my operation. As I was reading the book of Job from the Message Bible few days ago, Job gave me voices to some of my cries: Job 3:23-26 What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning? "Instead of bread I get groans for my supper,then leave the table

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-77514401870822120632010-10-05T14:17:00.003+08:002010-10-07T13:36:51.978+08:00

I had my operation at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on 9 Sep'10 to remove my primary tumour and right kidney. I was so weak after the operation that I had to depend on others for shower in the next two days, and to get up from my bed on my own in the next four days. I had almost no abdominal muscle at all in the one week after the operation. I had to live with the pain and woke up almost every

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-28388779918972706022010-10-05T13:08:00.000+08:002010-10-05T13:08:40.912+08:00

I took a picture of a lake in Chinese garden recently. In the centre of the lake is a white crane which looks small from afar but beautiful when you zoom in. I was first captured by the reflections of the trees, stones, grass, and the crane in the lake, which means there are three types of sceneries: the physical ones, the reflected ones, and the other in my heart. (I may not do justice to the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-13960419456824156072010-10-05T13:01:00.000+08:002010-10-05T13:01:46.893+08:00

On my flight back to Singapore from Boston on 12 Aug'10, I asked myself what hope am I holding on to, and I happened to watch Shrek forever after while in-flight. In this animated movie, Shrek chooses to allow an evil witch to remove one day of his life in his contract. After signing the contract, Shrek discovers that everything has changed and he seeks to reverse it, and the only way he could

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-69868205553421213422010-10-05T12:20:00.002+08:002010-10-05T17:46:59.876+08:00

I have been reflecting on what has happened to me within the last three months. When I graduated from Boston University School of Theology on 16 May 2010 with Master of Divinity, I was awarded with cum laude. I started my internship as a chaplain on 1 June 2010 at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of U.S. top five hospitals. I was about to proceed on to a second master theological degree

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-43226600357758567252010-10-05T12:05:00.000+08:002010-10-05T12:05:47.675+08:00

Ever since the month of May, I have not updated my blog. As what a person writes is an outflow with who he/she is, I believe what I write from this point forth has been decisively colored by the diagnosis and treatment of my critical illness. It is therefore at this point that I decide to disclose my critical illness on my blog for few purposes: 1) My verbalization of my inner journey will lend

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-37345649342834341312010-05-31T11:49:00.006+08:002010-11-10T11:32:02.885+08:00

During the last one week, I was reading Karen Armstrong's The Case for God, borrowed from the Boston Public Library. It was a really good read. In the book, Karen Armstrong raises a valid question of constructing an idol. Previously, I thought money or friends or spouse or kids could be an idol if it or he/she takes precedent over God. Armstrong points out that by confining God within our

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-78146451681307622532010-04-25T02:12:00.004+08:002010-04-25T11:26:59.830+08:00

As I come closer to the end of my MDiv journey at Boston University School of Theology, many thoughts come to my mind. One of them is the question of what it means to be a great person. I embarked on my theological journey with the intense desire of seeking the betterment of humanity, to embody God's presence in the world. Indeed, as I studied in the last few semesters, I have read works by St.

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-73268971793239353512010-04-18T11:55:00.005+08:002010-11-10T11:22:32.950+08:00

林前15：3-1115:3 我當日所領受又傳給你們的、第一、就是基督照聖經所說、為我們的罪死了． 15:4 而且埋葬了．又照聖經所說、第三天復活了． 15:5 並且顯給磯法看．然後顯給十二使徒看． 15:6 後來一時顯給五百多弟兄看、其中一大半到如今還在、卻也有已經睡了的． 15:7 以後顯給雅各看．再顯給眾使徒看． 15:8 末了也顯給我看．我如同未到產期而生的人一般。 15:9 我原是使徒中最小的、不配稱為使徒、因為我從前逼迫　神的教會。 15:10 然而我今日成了何等人、是蒙　神的恩才成的．並且他所賜我的恩、不是徒然的．我比眾使徒格外勞苦．這原不是我、乃是　神的恩與我同在。 15:11 不拘是我是眾使徒、我們如此傳、你們也如此信了。 引言 我們生活在一個多元化的社會，這多元化的社會有許多的宗教信仰任你選購。如果你已習慣常常被商業廣告轟炸，

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-59033705481581796782010-01-24T15:17:00.002+08:002010-11-10T11:40:49.342+08:00

Prologue On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude quake hit Haiti, just 10 miles west of Porte-au-Prince. There were 3 million people in need of emergency aid after major earthquake. The major quake sent 33 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.2 to 5.9. As Haiti has poor construction work, a lot of buildings collapsed and increased the death toll further. 200,000 people are estimated dead, and 3

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-80281000501610799322010-01-17T07:52:00.009+08:002010-01-17T23:34:25.343+08:00

Theme: Imperfect people, imperfect church Prologue While I was in a conversation with my old friend in Singapore, and we have known each other for twenty years, he asked me what I am studying at Boston. When I told him divinity, he said that this subject must be very sacred, and only meant for those holy people, and the church is also meant for holy people. I immediately corrected him that the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-74459788371422111012010-01-05T03:14:00.010+08:002010-11-10T11:33:49.011+08:00

這是我在大波士頓臺灣基督長老教會 , 成人主日學1月3日2010年 所呈現的內容。 許多人在歡慶圣誕節的期間會知道圣誕節源于基督教。但是，圣經并沒記載圣誕節是在何時，只記載耶穌誕生在馬槽里，并有牧羊人看顧羊群。 "In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night." (Lk 2:8 NRSV); "在伯利恒的郊外，有一群牧人在夜間看守羊群。" (路2:8, 新譯本) 既然有牧羊人在看顧羊群, 曾么會是在中東的冬天呢？所以，我們需要追索歷史，了解圣誕節到原由。 （一）第三世纪末的教會所紀念的節期 最早的教會文件記錄，在第三世纪末，初期教會已在守以下的節期: 1.1）复活節 (Pascha) 1.2）聖灵降临節 (Pentecost)

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-86634304076465506352010-01-02T14:19:00.007+08:002010-01-05T03:38:49.459+08:00

I am a fan of William C. Placher, a Reformed theologian. Recently, he wrote a book The Triune God: An Essay in Postliberal Theology, and I came across few paragraphs where he described what good preaching is. Below is an extraction: Good preaching involves helping a particular congregation think of how the biblical stories illumine the patterns of the world. So the prophet Nathan (a good

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-89771178701057936132010-01-02T14:02:00.005+08:002010-01-05T04:35:12.619+08:00

這是我在大波士頓臺灣長老基督教會11月1日2009年第二次證道的大綱 羅馬書 3:27- 4:17    題目：因信稱義（二） 證道大綱 3:27a沒有可跨的 4:1-2亞伯拉罕不能夸口 3:27b-28因為是因信稱義，不是靠行為稱義 4:3-8因為他是因信稱義，不是靠行為 3:29-30猶大人（受割禮）與外邦人（沒受割禮）因為信，歸屬同一位上帝 4:9-17 猶大人（受割禮）與外邦人（沒受割禮）因為信，所以都是亞伯拉罕的子孫 1) 讓我們來翻開圣經使徒行傳15:1-2. 有幾個人、從猶太下來、教訓弟兄們說、你們若不按摩西的規條受割禮、不能得救。保羅巴拿巴與他們大大的分爭辯論、眾門徒就定規、叫保羅巴拿巴和本會中幾個人、為所辯論的、上耶路撒冷去、見使徒和長老。 這展開了教會第一個大公會議的序幕。這大公會議在耶路撒冷。最后做出的判決如下，15:28-29

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-37819414375454760432009-09-29T14:51:00.001+08:002010-11-10T11:22:15.006+08:00

As I was preparing for Bible study on the gospel of Mark in my internship church, I tried to juxtapose with the lessons I learned in my class on Aristotle. I saw grounds for cross-fertilization in explaining  the kingdom of God. This article is a crystallization of my thought process as I seek to compare the similarities between HDB flat and the kingdom of God. I hope to use a contemporary

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-13291274109148661832009-09-04T13:03:00.010+08:002009-09-04T13:29:36.136+08:00

As I continued reading Soong-Chan Rah's The Next Evangelism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity, I echo what he said about doing theology from Western, white context. I recall two classes I had. The first was on Theory and Method of Comparative Religion. I had to write a final research paper of which 25% was on definition of religion. Most of the reference books I could find

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-75043579911742154062009-09-04T12:08:00.006+08:002009-09-04T13:23:43.899+08:00

As I was reading Soong-Chan Rah's The Next Evangelism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity, I came across a section where he reflects on how typical America churches will probably measure success. An excellent piece of reflection: Over the last decade or so, I have had the opportunity to travel to different cities throughout the United States on various preaching and teaching

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-12632556622822678672009-08-28T11:31:00.009+08:002010-11-10T10:52:50.273+08:00

I have been asked whether I have encountered doubts about faith in my theological journey. My immediate answer is "YES", of course. But the more pertinent question is how one should handle doubts. I would like to begin with a common understanding about God by quoting from Daniel L. Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (William B. Eerdmans, 2004),

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-22824530842149374192009-08-26T01:41:00.040+08:002009-08-28T01:11:19.429+08:00

ACKNOWLEDGMENTMy Hebrew translation is made possible by the sponsorship of Committee on Preparation for Ministry at Presbytery of Boston, Church of the Covenant, and Taiwan Presbyterian Church of Greater Boston in my Summer Language Program at Harvard Divinity School.My Approach In the article below, I am adopting an Observation-Interpretation-Application (OIA) style which I acquired during

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-21172078712080530572009-08-20T01:18:00.005+08:002009-08-20T01:58:49.451+08:00

This article draws heavily from a sociologist Russell Jeung's Faithful Generations: Race and New Asian American Churches in tracing the development of Chinese American churches. I would further suggest that Jeung's observation of Confucian virtues being found predominantly across Chinese American churches is also true of the Chinese churches in Singapore, and perhaps in Malaysia as well.Among the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-86834248619949814532009-08-20T00:34:00.008+08:002010-11-10T10:52:05.766+08:00

I did a small research on the history of Chinese Americans during my winter semester 2009. I will attempt to encapsulate a very brief history of Chinese Americans in three paragraphs. Ever since the Chinese immigrants have arrived on the shore of the America, they have been adapting to a whole new environment. The first group of Chinese to arrive in 1847 was students.[1] But the larger waves

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-89898904855361880152009-08-20T00:25:00.003+08:002009-08-20T01:39:53.786+08:00

This is the sharing I gave during my visit back at my home church in Singapore on 7th June 2009.弟兄姐妹们平安。我姓许，名瑞龙，曾经与理事长老们及牧师在以前的理事会里一起同工。当时的恩泽中心还在文礼。我目前在美国波士顿大学就读道学硕士，将步入第三年，我也是附属波士顿长老会的神学生。今天我主要是要与大家分享两方面的感恩事项，虽然我还有许多方面可以分享，但时间有限。首先，我先分享在学业方面的感恩事项。我一向来都是读数理科。当时我刚踏入神学系，并且周围的许多同学都有宗教系的背景，再加上我的老师们都毕业于美国的顶尖大学或神学院，他们对神学生的学术水平有一定的要求。在这样的环境读书，对我来说是一个很大的挑战。但是就在这样的环境里，我才体会到原来新加坡有良好的教育水平，以致我能够比较快地融入新的学习环境，

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-57104541699677932412009-08-19T11:10:00.029+08:002010-11-10T11:19:35.887+08:00

I started off doing a 2-yr Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree. Why did I switch to 3-yr Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree that is also available in Singapore? Isn't that a waste? Has my initial intention to study something related to science, and other religion shifted? Does my intention to seek ordination in America means that I intend to stay in America for good? These are the questions

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-49536440172113132212009-08-18T10:13:00.019+08:002010-11-10T10:52:24.217+08:00

The purpose of this article is to inform those interested in my theological studies about why I have chosen to study at Boston University School of Theology. I come from Singapore Chinese Presbyterian background, and I am aware that most theological students from the Chinese Presbyterian churches usually prefer Singapore Bible College (SBC). Not many would opt for Trinity Theological College (

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-50807753439462190842009-08-17T09:29:00.015+08:002009-08-26T11:25:24.073+08:00

I will remember Jan-Mar 2009 as my darkest months in Boston. So many things had happened that I don't think I will ever be the same again.Since Nov 2008, my wife developed patches of rashes occasionally, and we assumed that it was due to the poor condition of the washing machines in the basement, and we decided to use the laundromat along the main street. However we are living in a cheaper

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-88354711316237174192009-01-04T09:52:00.012+08:002010-11-10T11:23:16.380+08:00

Background Having learned how to decode some elements of the market economy, the next step is to examine how the immense depth of our Christian tradition can be drawn on to respond to the market economy. I think the theologians and ministers have the imperative task of examining we could respond to market economy corporately as a body of Christ, which means exploring different avenues together

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-82836798235828901272008-12-31T14:08:00.002+08:002010-11-10T11:19:58.824+08:00

In my "Introduction to the arts of worship" class, I had the opportunity to study liturgy and to appreciate why certain practices are adopted in the church. One major Christian celebration that had always pique my curiosity was "why do we celebrate Christmas?" I had heard of people claiming that it used to be a pagan event, so they argued that Christians should not partake in it. What's more, the

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-5382571194096617962008-12-29T14:57:00.040+08:002010-11-10T11:23:58.855+08:00

In the Fall'08 semester, I took a class on "Theological and economic ethics of globalization" with Prof Nimi Wariboko at Andover-Newton Theological Seminary. In this class, we learned the framework of Max Stackhouse in examining the forces of globalization, and the principle of neo-classical economy from Ulrich Duchrow and Franz J. Hinkelammert. In writing my final paper, I was able to tap on

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-74945535907204691242008-07-21T04:47:00.028+08:002010-11-10T10:51:31.823+08:00

While reading Alister McGrath's The Science of God yesterday, I came across the paragraph which describes his vision behind his formulation of a scientific theology, which reminded me of my conviction. This is what McGrath says: This leads to one of the major themes of the vision that lies behind a scientific theology — my deep longing to develop a public theology, capable of interacting with

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-9659051368175401182008-07-09T10:12:00.030+08:002010-11-10T10:53:32.931+08:00

I am now currently teaching conversational English to a group of Chinese immigrants, at American Chinese Christian Educational & Social Services Inc. (ACCESS), in Boston Chinatown in the morning. It is through working in this organization that I know more about the Chinese immigrants, the Chinese community in America, the American Chinese, and the local Chinese churches in Boston. I have been

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-14615476039173434352008-07-09T04:03:00.014+08:002010-11-10T10:53:59.364+08:00

I saw this notice on a wall of New England Medical Center, somewhere around orange line New England Medical Center T-station. What caught my attention is the offer to take in any unwanted baby without any question asked. I think this is a viable alternative that will discourage abortion. In the past, I always thought that giving up a child for adoption is a realistic way out of unwanted

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-40061507269518255692008-07-07T09:48:00.052+08:002010-11-10T10:54:20.181+08:00

I consider these two landmarks to be very unique part of Boston University: a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Marsh Chapel. The building on the left of the memorial is my school, the School of Theology, which is the founding school of Boston University. The tall building behind my school is the law faculty. On the opposite side of School of Theology is the College of Arts and

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-17988040488030524822008-07-07T08:10:00.017+08:002010-11-10T11:32:31.190+08:00

All along, I have always associated the Christian gospel with personal salvation, i.e. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and to reconcile me back to God. Recently, as I read more about the different dimension of the Christian gospel, I have come to realize that it has a serious social dimension as well. In this summer, I have been reading: 1) Bryan McLaren's Everything Must Change:

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-56492347653441968202008-06-30T10:10:00.025+08:002010-11-10T10:54:41.994+08:00

I was in New York City (NYC) on Jun3rd-4th, 2008. Apart from the crowd of concrete jungle, NYC has a huge Central Park in the center of Manhattan Island. It was there that I had a chance to re-connect back to God, our Creator. While I was walking from the Columbia Center sub-way to the Central Park, I notice a subtle transition from the world of concrete jungle to the world of wildlife nature.

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-86920734071177099502008-05-23T01:08:00.013+08:002010-11-10T11:18:37.185+08:00

I have been following the news about the quake in China (May 12, 2008). In fact, I was there in Dujiangyan, one of the quake zones, eight years ago with my friends. I could feel the pain, anguish and torment that the victims are going through, and it was really heart-wrenching. I was totally touched when I saw Premier Wen Jiabao said (in Mandarin) "Don't cry, we stand together" on CCTV4 website.

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-2641039042249519322008-05-22T23:59:00.026+08:002010-11-10T10:55:03.753+08:00

As I am now having my summer break, I could afford the time and space to re-think about my mission in life. I shall pen down what comes to my mind during my moment of reflection. I believe the American and British missionaries who were sent to Asia in the last two centuries also imported their views of what it meant to be a church or Christians. We have inherited what they had passed down to us

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-85893972845873685742008-05-22T08:32:00.008+08:002008-07-17T11:15:39.105+08:00

This semester (Spr'08) has not been easy for me, as there were much more writing of academic papers. Other than knowing how to write better papers, there are few important decisions I made, and some important lessons that I learned in this semester.1) I have switched from my Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program to Master of Divinity (MDiv) program.This means that I will be seeking

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-60802049332460104892008-05-21T02:00:00.005+08:002008-07-17T11:15:21.913+08:00

I experienced a "miracle" in my Spr'08 semester, and I have decided to pen it down just in case I forget about it in future. I had to submit a Sociology of Religion final paper, and Theology final paper two weeks ago. The original submission date for sociology paper was three days before theology paper. But our professor rescheduled the date such that it was three days after theology paper.As

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-36135905462141122912008-04-23T23:29:00.012+08:002010-11-10T11:27:16.502+08:00

The following paragraph is a reflection on what went through my mind recently, on the different kinds of death and implications after being exposed to sociology of religion, Augustine's Confessions and Immanuel Kant. There are three kinds of death that I am aware of so far. 1) Physical death- the heart stops beating and the brain stops functioning and is certified by medical practitioner. This

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-25612204091386562522008-01-26T22:31:00.004+08:002010-11-10T10:55:23.607+08:00

Among the books in the Bible, I think the books of the prophets are largely foreign to me. In my School of Theology, I took a class in the Hebrew Bible. The impact upon us by Dr. Katheryn Pfisterer Darr from the book of Amos is profound. I will write briefly about what I have learnt from the book and how it is applicable to my life. The year was about 750 B.C.E. The Northern Israelite kingdom

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-18438050921548850432008-01-15T11:11:00.005+08:002010-11-12T13:48:12.251+08:00

One of my classmates is a Japanese elder of a Presbyterian Church. Though he is about 28 years my senior, he believes in theological education and acts on his conviction. He is Mikio Miyagi, an Economics major graduate from University of the Ryukyu, one of the national universities in Japan. He had been in business world after graduation in 1971 till 1999. His deployment as a Traffic manager

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-49615625296076531012008-01-15T06:00:00.006+08:002011-01-15T17:41:24.080+08:00

Among the theologians and religious ethicists I surveyed on their views of human embryonic stem cell research, I found Karen Lebacqz's argument to be very unique and outstanding. Let's hear what she has to say... Bibliography: Lebacqz, Karen. "Stem Cell Ethics: Lessons from Context." In Stem Cell Research: New Frontiers in Science and Ethics, edited by Nancy E. Snow, 85-99. Notre Dame, IN:

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-13789890364864411692008-01-15T05:47:00.006+08:002010-11-10T11:24:50.174+08:00

I wrote a paper on the ethical issues in Stem Cell research for my Science & Religion class. During my literature survey, I was amazed to discover a plethora of voices concerning human embryonic stem cell research. I hope to share the following section so that you have an idea of how diversified we could be on the same issue, irregardless of our religious inclination. Introduction Several

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-29088324355994380692008-01-15T04:57:00.006+08:002010-11-10T10:57:11.974+08:00

The person who is instrumental for my study in stem cells is Dr Olga V. Naidenko, a PhD holder in immunology from the UCLA Molecular Biology Institute. She was my instructor in Science Literacy class in Boston University School of Theology in Fall'07. Without her guidance and motivation, I would not be able to sustain my interest in the class as I had almost no biological and organic chemistry

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-48957316660124214332008-01-09T13:57:00.005+08:002010-11-10T10:56:22.528+08:00

Below is an extract of my paper which I submitted for my Church History Survey's class. I wrote a short biography on Karl Barth and the following extract is a very brief summary of his theology. I have used mainly:Stanley Grez and Roger Olson's 20th Century Theology: God and the Word in a Transitional Age; and Benjamin Leslie's "Karl Barth" in A New Handbook of Christian Theologians, edited by

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-14207545409573408692008-01-09T13:00:00.002+08:002008-07-17T11:14:16.613+08:00

I am now at the threshold of experiencing God in a different way. In the past, I had associated God mainly with His Almightiness and omnipotence. It is only recently that I have read and experience the God who speaks the language of pain and suffering. I am only starting to discover that our God is intimate with our pain and suffering and yet I do not have sufficient inner resources to

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-23625429484356668452008-01-09T12:42:00.001+08:002008-07-17T11:19:09.241+08:00

It has been about 6 months since I last updated my blog. The more I study in Boston University School of Theology, the more inadequate I feel when I want to publish my thoughts on my blog. Because, whatever I am going to post on my blog would be incomplete work, waiting to be researched further. But, I have to make a choice.Either I wait until I have done some research before putting up my

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-415338795730787442007-05-31T14:15:00.002+08:002008-07-17T11:10:16.338+08:00

I am writing this short article as an attempt to relate the Christian faith to the non-Christians in the contemporary setting. As such, I will be tapping on some scenes in Spiderman 3, some concepts from the book "The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian" by Brian D. McLaren and using a non-conventional approach to convey the Christian faith. There are two

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-41404326473623448372007-05-12T21:34:00.005+08:002010-11-10T11:21:06.280+08:00

Many a times, I have asked myself how I should live a life that is worthy to be called 'Christ-like'. I have gotten different answers over the past few years. When I attended a seminar on 'Teaching with Styles' by Walk Thru the Bible ministry, Jesus was cast in the light of a great teacher with many teaching styles to be emulated by us. When I had an evangelistic bible study on John 5 where

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-33223394642908877402007-04-08T17:52:00.001+08:002008-07-17T11:11:45.608+08:00

Recently, I came across an article that describes how our nature seems to exhibit sheer beauty in the elegance of some physics equations and I can't help but to recall the one of the Psalms: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." (Ps 19:1-2) The article which I am including

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-55991697951240537542007-01-01T01:31:00.003+08:002010-11-10T11:15:12.758+08:00

以下是我在30/12/2006， 恩泽长老会中心的功课加油站-结业礼，与60多位家长们所分享的信息内容。 父母与孩子之间的沟通 1）引言 2）父母的沟通方式 例子：你吃饱了吗？/你冲凉了吗？/你功课做完了吗？ 你认为孩子会怎样回答？ 3）孩子的沟通方式 例子：我能不能买脚踏车？/我明天能不能跟朋友出去？ 你认为父母会怎样回答？ 观察： 我们假设孩子最关心的是学业，饮食，零用钱够用。所以我们问孩子的问题都环绕在这些课题。 父母很少认识孩子的内心世界，孩子也很少接触父母的内心世界。我们都是以我们的假设来与孩子对话。父母与孩子不能沟通，会带来很多的误会及伤害。当孩子很难与我们沟通时，我们都认为问题出在孩子身上。孩子却认为问题出在我们身上。 4）孩子的自信心 在孩子的成长过程中，他们的自信心会建立在学业，朋友及父母的肯定。 - 孩子会在学业的成绩上肯定自己的价值

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-1161098367862599172006-10-17T23:10:00.003+08:002010-11-10T11:10:07.380+08:00

I attended the ‘Gospel of Judas’ seminar which took place on 30th Sept 06 in Orchard Rd Presbyterian Church by Dr Wu2 Rong2 Tu2 and I had gleaned quite a number of valuable insights from it. I would like to take this opportunity to share about what I have learnt and my afterthought. During the seminar, Dr Wu introduced us to the basic concept of Gnosticism. From there, he showed us how the Gospel

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-1152465252112885222006-07-10T01:14:00.004+08:002011-04-13T18:58:27.748+08:00

I have come across the concept of Trinity and the issue of how to interpret it during the Youth Fellowship in my church lately. Upon some reflections and a little bit of read up, I am penning down my thoughts on commonly used analogies I have come across so far for describing the relationship of Trinity and the limitations of each analogy. We may define the doctrine of the Trinity as follows:

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-1148963300670136132006-05-30T12:16:00.004+08:002010-11-10T11:09:48.265+08:00

Prologue For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. –Bible, Matthew 6:14-15"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in

ArthKohSLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13324948.post-1145888933247756242006-04-24T22:13:00.003+08:002008-07-17T11:25:32.366+08:00

Definition of platform: A place, means, or opportunity for public expression of opinion(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/platform) There is a platform for every opinion to be aired. It is when you have chosen a wrong platform to express yourself that turns others away and that limits your form of expression. In choosing the appropriate platform, you must have the

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