sorry im no good at bending over backwards and jumping through hoops

really glad i went for FOP yesterday
even though yes, there wasnt any popular overseas christian performing group there
mmm
the singaporean performing groups were kind of
mmm
smarmy
if thats a word
didnt really get into the worship part
part of it was the atmosphere
part of it probably me being easily distracted

but the message was real good

i think i have a thing for australian pastors
just their dialetic and humour
im usually the odd one out when it comes to sermons
when others usually say its great im left scratching my head
and i think it works the other way
but yeah
australian preachers tend to be like interesting?

moving on,
ive been encountering the term "emergent church"
quite abit in literature and now hearing about it from preachers
the emergent church or even for that matter emerging churches havent really come to singapore yet
and the local church doesnt seem concerned or interested to tackle the "issue"
after reading up on it abit
i honestly find the idea of an emergent or at least admittantly emerging church very alluring
id admit as being a child of this generation to being strongly post-modernistic in certain areas
and being quite disillusioned with traditional church institutions and the norms of church
the whole decentralised power and deconstruction of modern traditions seems called for

while sure, the whole movement has seen criticism from the more main-stream of christiandom in the west
although it seems to me awfully right wing, red, gun-totting, grizzled and bush like if u ask me
id be the first to join one if it came to singapore
id have to admit that the decentralised authority and the promotion of conversation over traditional evangelism is the main impetus

on to a totally offhand, uninteresting, and unrelated diatribe
i shall talk abt the byzantium empire
why a post-modernist shd be interested in a medival empire
well its relevant to me
aha,
the lure of the post-modernist mindset

so anyways
my love affair with all things associated with the east roman empire began in sec sch
thanks to a game known as medival total war
now for those who are of the school of thought that computer games just teach little boys violence and nothing more,
id strongly disagree
ive learnt alot of what i know from games
games are often the sparking point for interests in history (any period with a war in it usually is interesting) mythology, and even promote knowledge of science and technology
i learnt abt physics theories through sid mier's alpha centauri
and abt the impt breaktrhoughs in technology both in antiquity and in the present day from civilisation 3, civ 3 also helped teach me that while democracy is currently one of the most efficient government types, it has it drawbacks, and it isnt perfect and shd be viewed on the same palate next to socialism, theism, monarchies and the rest

and so yes,
kids shd play more games
regardless than the latest offerings seem to teach one how to survive post-nuclear apocalyptic hell or a zombie outbreak, what man vs wild will probably never touch on

i digress
back to the centre of orthodox christiandom
the lure of Byzantium will always be their armoured horses,
their wealth, naval and military power and prowess
the strength of the walls of constantinople
the glory and splendour of that city

even in places like the vatican museum often the more impressive artifacts, some of them were stolen from constantinople in its sacking by crusaders

mmm
ok
i first was drawn to byzantium by the colour purple, the fact that its strategic position is more playable than any catholic faction in early medieval times (it was the easiest non-muslim faction)

mmm
actually the muslim factions were the most satisfying to play as
medieval times were the heyday of muslim nations
a time when these were the most gracious nations on earth
at the forfront of the arts, society and technology

saladin was probably the greatest of all rulers to come out of medieval times
even in othello, the moor is more civilised than the venetians

sometimes nowadays i cringe at the thought that their descendants are a poor poor shadow compared to their legacy
but anyways

mmm
the byzantium society was marked by two things i find interesting
first was that their constantly was power play in their hierachy
byzantium was the golden age of political assasinations

what else makes byzantium interesting was that as the centre of orthodox christiandom
it was the home of amateur theologist
it seems that men in the street were espousing the theology of the trinity the incarnation and divinity

while it seems at first paradoxical that assasintation central and theology could co-exit
im realising now that they seem to go hand in hand
we make our own political mess out of the instituions God ordained

mmm
i think the 3rd real impetus of the emergent church for me is that it is praxis oriented