Disqus - Latest Comments for headsparks

Re: The Idea Camp as a burning bush

headsparks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:12:33 -0000

DJ -- These are really great reflections on The Idea Camp. I'm still catching up and trying to wrap my head around the whole weekend. I might just end up copying your entire post onto my blog :)

I would add that, on a personal level, connecting with like-minded friends from across the blogosphere (and now twitterverse) was a seamless online/offline transition. It was a great source of strength and encouragement to think, dream and conspire together.

Re: debrief on the Fuller conversations

headsparks — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:31:09 -0000

I believe the phrase would be "mah-velous" :)

I second Eugene's comment. DJ, I appreciate your ability to bring together research, theology and praxis. Thanks for making this list of ten vital truths for the Asian American church available for all of us.

Re: changing family traditions

headsparks — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:56:34 -0000

DJ -- A belated Merry Christmas! Thanks for posting about this. Going home to my folks always causes me to examine myself as well -- who I am, where I've been, who I'm becoming. There's that tension/interplay between "leaving your father's household" and being intimately connected to the family in which you were raised.

In any case, as always, I appreciate the honest reflections :)

Re: U Michigan stadium drive by

headsparks — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:39:31 -0000

DJ -- You're an honorary Wolverine now! Does that mean you have to suffer along with all of us now as we watch U of M teams? :) Go blue!

Re: the switch from Curve to iPhone 3g

headsparks — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:09:42 -0000

DJ -- I love it! Your ability to find the orange gear is unparalleled :)

I just visited the Genius Bar at our local Apple store. Turns out we had a faulty battery (started to give out way too soon). Even though we were out of both the original and extended warranty period, they switched it for free.

Pretty soon, you might hear me start evangelizing for Apple :D

Re: how do you spell your last name

headsparks — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:12:02 -0000

DJ -- I love this post! You wouldn't believe the trouble I've had with my two-letter last name. The most confused CSR I spoke to asked if my last name was "Soesso" because I first said it ("So") and then spelled it ("S-O"). Once I received some junk mail addressed to "Daniel Sieuw" -- I guess two letters felt a bit short?

Re: company with a mission for generosity

headsparks — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:19:22 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for sharing the Lee family's story. As Asian Americans we live under two cultures of consumption and materialism. It is so encouraging to hear the story of a young family who is breaking free for the sake of the Kingdom -- and that they made this commitment from the outset.

In many ways, their story is both more realistic and more challenging to everyday followers of Christ than, say, a call to vocational church ministry: more realistic because while church work can seem like a strange, distant thing for just the "chosen" few, many can relate to and understand a vocation like this and more challenging because it's one thing to say that we are committed to the Kingdom, but an entirely different thing to actually redistribute our hard-earned finances.

Re: Erwin McManus drove me to drink

headsparks — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:11:43 -0000

DJ -- Most of the time, the mass quantities of coffee I drink are just the vehicle to deliver my caffeine fix. I just removed the lid of my medium Americano (with an extra shot) and just got blasted in the face with the intense aroma & flavor. Definitely makes a different experience... maybe kind of a postmodern, multisensory thing :)

Re: Pinkberry hype to the max

headsparks — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:14:30 -0000

DJ -- Yes, Pinkberry is massively overhyped and overpriced... but I must admit that I enjoy their green tea flavor. Down here in San Diego there is a similar chain called Yogurt World, but it's more of a self-serve joint. You choose your own toppings -- and how much of each one you want. Although they charge by weight, even a gigantic serving ends up being less expensive than a trip to Pinkberry.

I think the "tart" frozen yogurt flavors are appealing to me because they bring me back to childhood. It's like getting the ice cream version of those little bottles of yogurt-type drinks my mom would get us at the Asian food mart...

Since the founder of Starbucks pumped about $25 million into the franchise, I'm guessing Pinkberry franchises will start popping up in more locations. We'll see about the willingness of non-New Yorkers and Angelinos to fork out ten bucks every time they go, though.

Re: most people are okay, homes not so much

headsparks — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:35:25 -0000

DJ -- Glad to hear you guys are okay. We were forced to evacuate yesterday morning. Our family is safe, but we haven't been back to our place yet. It sounds like our apartment complex is still standing, but we live in Rancho Bernardo -- the neighborhood from which many of the national news crews are reporting. Hundreds of homes have been lost in RB alone. It has been really surreal to watch the very subdivisions where many of our church families live going up in flames on the news. We're going to try to return home tomorrow.

Re: Ask Mark Driscoll ANYTHING

headsparks — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:40:04 -0000

DJ -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised any longer, but it never ceases to amaze me how much Mark seems to enjoy pushing people's buttons. I mean, within the first twenty seconds he has written off his critics as weirdos, losers and still-lives-with-mom types. I often hear his fans & supporters say, "Well, that's just how he is. Look at how much his church has grown. If you can get past the vitriol, he has lots of other good stuff to say." But, even if he is "just joking around" when he makes these comments, the unspoken message is: if you disagree with us, not only is your opinion wrong but something is wrong with you (and we have every right to insult, mock and belittle you).

You're right, though. This man knows how to keep his name at the top of the blogosphere. And, by stirring up controversy at public speeches and through new media, he practically guarantees that his sales will go through the roof.

Maybe that's just how some people joke around, but to me, smirking condescension and name-calling don't really have a place in the lives of Christ-followers (let alone nationally recognized pastors who write books). For me, at least, the worthwhile things he might have to say get lost in the midst of his taunting and button-pushing.

Re: revitalizing Asian American churches

headsparks — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:47:52 -0000

DJ -- Great presentation today! It was definitely worth braving LA/OC traffic to get there... You've given me (and everyone who was there) plenty to think about.

Re: deconstructing depression

headsparks — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:24:06 -0000

DJ -- Thank you for sharing so openly and honestly, and for not brushing aside depression with a quick, "Just pray more and you'll get over it." The truth is, as you have shared, even for people with a deep trust and abiding faith in Christ, depression is not easily overcome. May God's peace be even more real and present than any darkness in your life.

Re: grateful for new friends in a new place

headsparks — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:39:39 -0000

DJ -- I just joined the Junky Car Club this week -- at the Chrome Membership level, no less :) To me, Mike's light-hearted approach (you gotta love a title like "Deadly Viper Character Assassins"!) helps us not take ourselves too seriously when dealing with some important issues. Glad to hear that you were able to meet up with him.

Re: multiethnic churches saying and doing different things

headsparks — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:31:24 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for a lively and necessary discussion here. I don't mean to hijack the comments, so I'll just share a bit more and leave it at that :)

Solomon @ 8 -- Thanks for the clarification. I agree with your assessment about people on both sides of the women's ordination discussion who seem to base their entire ministry around that particular divide. It is important to have convictions, but it is a sad waste of time -- especially from the pulpit -- to promote a theological opinion over the Gospel of Christ. I think it's important for us to recognize that faithful, biblical, prayerful followers of Christ will come to different conclusions about women's ordination. As the old saying goes, unity in essential matters, liberty in secondary matters and charity in all matters.

Regarding the Asian American church book, I think it's perfectly fine to disagree with a book. I think the particular expectations we bring will affect our reading of a book. I don't want to give the impression that I agree with everything the book or its authors say -- but, given the serious lack of AA church books out there -- I am just glad that there is a resource like this out there. I want to encourage and support this kind of pioneering leadership, even if I'm not 100% on board with everything (but, really, when do we ever agree 100%?).

In my opinion, your critique of the book makes more sense than the book reviewers because you stated that you disagreed with some of the content (which, again, I think is perfectly legitimate). I took issue with the characterization that the book had "weak" theology/ecclesiology instead of simply stating disagreement.

To clarify a bit about my comment re: the nature of spiritual growth, I think I was trying to get at what DJ has been saying here. Theology is vital and necessary, but should lead to a transformed life. Too often, it seems like the message people receive is "get all of your theology straightened out, and then deal with living your life." There are certain foundational beliefs, but we are a constant work-in-progress -- in my opinion, part of the Bible being living and active means that our understanding of it will become deeper and deeper and constantly change the way we live our lives. In that sense, it is not static or linear.

Re: multiethnic churches saying and doing different things

headsparks — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 07:07:59 -0000

Solomon@5 -- I'm not sure if you were disagreeing the my comment or someone else's, but it's always good to engage in dialogue...

I don't think anyone is advocating that we abandon orthodoxy or sound theology -- simply that we actually put into practice what we say we believe (which is a truly biblical concept). We waste so much time and effort drawing lines in the sand around "our" team. Do we really want to be known solely by what we're against? Also, I would suggest reading David's comment @3 about the nature of spiritual growth (it's not always a linear proposition).

I suppose you've tipped your hand by expressing your displeasure with women's ordination. While I must strongly disagree with you (what do you mean by calling women's ordination a "hobby horse issue"?), I do believe there is room for differing opinions. Unfortunately, I have encountered many believers who have gone out of their way to make it clear that anyone who disagrees with them on these kinds of issues are not really Christians at all.

I would not ask you to alter your Reformed perspective. However, I think it is healthy for the Asian American church to have a range of theological insight and perspectives. I would much rather engage someone with whom I disagreed in a meaningful conversation than blindly adhere to a doctrine that someone insists I must believe in order to qualify as a "true" believer.

Re: multiethnic churches saying and doing different things

headsparks — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:11:12 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for facilitating another great discussion. Your last question cuts deep, but is such a vital question if we're going to move forward.

I find myself becoming increasingly frustrated/disillusioned with the line of thinking that David @3 describes that suggests spiritual growth happens in the same linear sequence for all people. This primary emphasis on personal sanctification squares neatly with Western perspectives, but misses out on a larger communal/societal understanding of forgiveness, reconciliation, sin and justice.

Occasionally (and forgive me if I'm reading into things here) I get the vibe from some Asian Americans that they need to prove their "Reformed-ness" to non-Asian folks. Right belief, doctrine and theology are important -- but is it a legitimate critique of a book written by multiple authors to suggest that they have "weak" theology or ecclesiology simply because they do not articulate a clear-cut definition of these terms? Is complete unanimity a prerequisite for "sound" theology?

We, both as the Asian American and broader church, lose out when we insist on promoting one particular theological perspective as being normative for all. Yes, yes, we need to have some sense of orthodoxy -- of course -- but it's disconcerting when we fall into the same traps of demonizing people simply because they do not check each box on our theological approval form.

Re: feast or famine scheduling

headsparks — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:07:25 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for making time to meet up! I had a great time as well. Boy, I'm glad I didn't choose a blog handle like "big nerd" :) Definitely looking forward to your talk in September...

Re: what Piper said about Asian Americans

headsparks — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:07:57 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for voicing these important thoughts. Sorry for jumping in a bit late here, but the recent kidnapping of the 23 South Korean people in Afghanistan makes Piper's words sound even worse. I don't know if they were targeted specifically because they had "Asian faces" but it seems pretty clear that simply having an Asian face does not give a person unfettered access to other nations.

I think what bothers me most about discussing these issues with some white people is their inability to see from another person's perspective. I've had people try to brush off serious concerns with, "Well, I didn't mean that so get over it already." It is difficult to communicate to such people that their worldview is *not* normative for everyone.

If the conference attendance really was one-third Asian American people, then it is remarkable that they do not try to find AA speakers for the main stage. This is not about filling quotas or tokenism; it just makes sense that the leadership up front reflects the overall picture of the conference. Maybe the leadership team at such conferences isn't networked in enough with AA circles; maybe it's too much of a hassle to deal with racial, ethnic & cultural diversity; whatever the reason, I hope that more AA speakers are invited to the table for these kinds of events.

Re: takedown power of racism

headsparks — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:34:44 -0000

DJ -- I totally agree with you. The church has a bad tendency to cop out on issues of race. Phrases like "People are people," and "We all love Jesus here, and that's all that counts," have some validity (as you mentioned) but miss the bigger picture.

If we are going to move toward genuine reconciliation and unity, then we must begin to recognize that we are different -- our background, heritage, experiences... Instead of being "colorblind", we must understand and affirm our uniqueness. In the end, this will deepen our understanding of the unity that Christ alone offers to us. He really can bring together widely diverse people, and not by squeezing out our uniqueness and forcing us into some strange homogeneous mold (though no one says this is easy).

Re: takedown power of racism

headsparks — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:30:18 -0000

DJ -- Great conversation. Add my vote to the regular podcast count!

"You’d better learn to live a transparent life, and be consistent when the lights are on and when they’re not. Best way to go: character and integrity all around." In this age of media spin and information control, this is a great reminder. I often find myself puzzling over why race seems to be the default attack for many people, and I think you've identified the heart-issues going on here. We don't necessarily need more censorship (although a little bit of discretion goes a long way in public discourse); we need inner transformation.

Re: book reaction: Reconciliation Blues

headsparks — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:58:06 -0000

DJ -- Thanks for highlighting this wonderful book on your blog. I picked it up and finished it in one day. Very compelling thoughts... I'll share more on my blog later but I just wanted to say thanks for pointing me in this direction.

Re: how to do ministry without losing heart

headsparks — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:07:44 -0000

dj - thanks for sharing these great insights. many of the other professional job hazards (e.g., low pay, lack of respect) are difficult, but manageable. but losing heart is what causes people to leave vocational ministry altogether. i know i've struggled with this, and i appreciate your wisdom.

as you mentioned in your talk, there are unique factors in our asian american-ness that make this a particular struggle. i would add that for being in asian american youth ministry adds another layer to this difficulty. i have been interacting with some of marko's thoughts from his blog about your book over on my blog.

Re: 2nd Asian American Emergents Skypecast

headsparks — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:02:09 -0000

hello dj - sorry to be a stone-age internet user, but how does a skypecast work? i'd like to participate, but i'm not 100% sure what it is :D do i need to sign up on the skype site? is it like an online chat or more like talking over the telephone? thanks!!