5th nov: potong pasir hdb community
17th nov: admiralty hdb community
18th nov: bio/fusionopolis
19th nov: jean's church
20th nov: haji lane
yo.. it's been a long while since our last update. really appreciate the support + prayers we've gotten from quickie fb notices + smses! we know your prayers have been absolutely essential in sustaining us/warring with us! so thank you one and all.
recently been seeing how God answers my desires turned into prayers.. sometimes i'm burdened for certain things + i pray+pray for God to do such-and-such a thing through me, but He chooses someone else to do it.. and perhaps this person will do it better and take it further than i'd be able to, because i see God's endorsement on it.. and how He's created partnership among us without us having the slightest idea..
i think God loves partnership like that within the body of Christ. and that brings me to say once again, thank you all for being our partners in crime. i mean Christ..
it's been exciting to see all the Crusade(-related) bands morphing + diversifying in function just so recently, from school concerts + worship training, to being broadcast on indian radio, in and out of glitzy shopping malls + stages, to half a song in an M orphanage for a dear little teenage girl. indeed in every one of these gigs God's heart has gone out singing over the people He's burdened for.. and in many cases we see His personal touch being ministered through our personal convos and new friendships.
i appreciate so much the open and humble hearts of the forerunner leaders that really encourage their staff+volunteers to run with what God's put on our hearts.
ok that was a big sidenote. of how God is on the move in our area of ministry- the creative arts- as we move with Him unafraid, creative and keeping a close walk.
God is also on the move in the other sectors of society. i hear from friends who minister in the business world, schools, science+tech, public sector, healthcare, of how He's raising up His body all over and using them to bring in His sheep.. indeed there are no secular vocations when we recognise our calling as missionaries regardless of our job titles.
before our gigs i always like to take several hours off to muse with God about what we're doing and why.
in sept ezekiel 34:6 spoke to me, about God's wandering sheep.. 'no one was seeking or searching for them'. he commissions us like the Son of Man 'came to seek and to save what was lost'; like fishers of men.
Isaiah 61/ luke 4 is always a winner, a reminder that God's music is about setting pple free, proclaiming liberty. proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord, proclaiming the gospel. and that we (and those who respond to our message) will be Oaks of Righteousness, Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In, 'laying the foundation of many generations'.
these are such powerful promises that the gospel can touch+rebuild pple's lives, because Christ has done exactly this for each of us who've been redeemed.
on reflection, I wrote that there seem to be 2 sides to this ministry: Calling back and Setting free.
a few other p.o.v.s regarding our ministry (which can pretty much apply to any other mode of ministry):
- putting orphans into the Father's hands.. into spiritual families.
- be a daughter first. sing as a daughter. to raise up sons + daughers + usher in the Day of the Lord.
- jer 33: proclaim that the Lord is good, the God of Jacob is our refuge.
- making disciples of all nations
GIG HIGHLIGHTS
5th (potong pasir):
- our setlist: o come all ye faithful [cool awesome version], the first noel (spacey remix) [so much better on keys but cooked up a guit version neway], love's gonna getcha (cute meaningful song by a pair of Christian sisters Tal + Acacia), one sweet love (sara bareilles. a bit of a stretch for Christmas, but it is kinda relevant).
- we started playing just as the buffet ended, i.e. just as pple decided to go home. lol. so who was left was a bunch of very appreciative Care Corner staff and Christ Community Church peeps.
- the organisers had no qualms blasting about Jesus the awesome centrepiece of Christmas + praying within earshot of all surrounding flats for God to hold the rain (and He did). pretty awesome.
- ran into one of the Luther (sound eqmt provider) staff, daryl, at teardown- someone i'd spoken on the phone 3-4 times just that week about a pair of speakers i was getting.. it's funny how, at these evangelistic events, we seldom get up close and personal with the target audience itself, and it's the the organisers and techies we actually get to interact with more. and the techies are forced to hear the gospel whether or not they want to be there or not.. haha.
- gd time chatting w our host alvin, a like-minded dude passionate about the work of God among the heartland community.
- mud all over my turquoise shoes + spent an hour cleaning 'em when i got home
17th (admiralty):
- our setlist: the 2 carols and 'taste of life'- our newest 'single' that got featured on Walkonmusic.net a few mths back. Taste uses a drop tuning w/ special' chords + i actually forgot the main chord shape (which makes up like 3/4 ofthe song) right from the beginning. haha. i was so dead. i hardly practice that song b/c im so scared of breaking strings.
- loved, loved watching the silat display. never, ever seen silat in my life.
18th (bio/fusionopolis):
- so this info is highly confidential b/c ppl in here might lose their jobs if they found out they were preaching the gospel at their workplace. basically this indian scientist doing cuttting-edge cancer research started gathering fellow Christians in a group actively reaching out to their colleagues, + it expanded to 14 prayer grps. many nonC's had been attending their alpha course + other events, 50% close to receiving Christ.
- our setlist: 2 carols, chi song!: ai shi yong heng (our 1st chinese cover ever), you raise me up. rach did her testimony for u raise me up. weird timing (pple were eating..).. a few pple said they were moved by the testimony/ songs. our host's wife told us semi-prophetically that our ministry wld grow + go far together.. creepy.
- scientists. seemed abit stone :p. the 'games' person was just like me, boring, and the 'game' was kinda sad. then, the speaker in turn was like dissecting the reason for Christmas n it was all very.. scientific. i hope they liked it :p
- we played in between dances by wesley methodist church. it was very typical tampbouriney white flowy dress.. but the 'here i m to worship' dance made me cry. i don't know why. i think watching ppl worship can do that to me. that they would love God that much.. as to give their all.. touches me. i don't know.
- oh yah, one little girl plonked herself rite next to the offstage dancers + imitated their flowy graceful movements. haha. it was hilarious. it was my fav part of the evening. her lil sister copied her too.
18th (geylang chinese methodist church):
- setlist: 2 carols, sarah, taste.
- forced myself to do a short testimony to intro 'taste'. i hate talking. here it is.
"Anybody here gets stressed up when u think abt work? maybe for some of you, esp. u working folks and students who remember what it's like not to have holidays.. every day consists of getting through tasks, solving one problem after another..
it's so easy to slip into the routine of life .. sometimes we we just want to get the job done + dont care y we're doing it in the first place...or we struggle to earn more to give ourselves n our children more comfortable lives, but we forget to ask ourselves: is this what we really want for our lives?
when i met God in a real way ard 19yrs old, i decided that nothing was worth spending my life on than God's purpose for it. from small to big decisions, i let my life be led by God. i became more aware of how God was using people n situations to speak to me. For example i realised tt God had given me skills and a passion for - not just music, but using music to draw ppl to God- and training young musicians to do so as well. So in this season of my life, i chose to be a piano n guit teacher, and i share my music to pple like you whenever i get the chance.
pple ask me, why not earn more money in a better job since ur well qualified w an overseas degree? or why not go overseas to be close to my family who's in the States? but when i direct my choices with God's purpose for my life in mind, He is faithful n gives me so much more than what i need or expect. And life is so much more fulfilling knowing that my life has a bigger purpose.
This song is like a wakeup call, an invitation to think about your own life.. do you like where it's headed? do you feel stuck where you are? as we sing this song, ask God about His dreams for your life."
20th (haji lane flea mkt):
- the most ghetto setup ever, 2 stools along the little alley next to a bunch of bicycles + a drain, little stalls all around + barely a standing audience. it was freakin cool.
- our loudest applause didn't come after love song or any popular radio hit, but o come all ye faithful. hahahah! a bunch of mat dudes were listening beside us + cheered wildly. how weird is that? "O come let us adore Him, Chriiiist the Lord.."
earlier on in the day we'd visited an M orphanage to donate the B+J ice cream vouchers .. i'd been waiting for this day even before we got through Chunkfest.. i knew it was for them. God's priority, the least of these... 3 of the teenage girls recognised us from Vday orchard busking (c.f. our 1st/2nd entry).. we sang for 1 of them. she was so sweet. she'd been at the home since she was little.
the lady at the home's receptive to us gg back to gig :)
so that's all for the update. coming up in jan we have
7 jan: Republic Poly
8+9 jan: esplanade "sofa sessions"
10 jan: my fren eeky's wedding
blessed Christmas everyone!
i'm out here in San Francisco to be with family + finally had some peace+time to update our blog on the 19-hr flight..
here's to seeing more of our incredible God at work in/through/around us in the coming 2010!
*cheers + love*
Red
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
the story of chunkfest
hot news: we got into 'chunkfest' after two rounds of auditions this past weekend.
we get to record a song as part of a Ben+Jerry's CD, and get "$500 worth of B+J's ice-cream and merchandise" o.O
to recap the b+j's audition a bit, we could have easily taken the easy way out. sing sarah mclachlan's ice cream, do love+water again (which we did in the first round and got us through). work on 'sarah' instead of spending countless hours on a new one.
it just seemed that as we examined the 'peace, love + ice cream' theme, there was so much of an opportunity to address things that really mattered. things that speak of the coming, here and now, Kingdom.
so with no less than 20 different words and phrases scribbled around a sheet of rough paper, we started carving out a song, deep into the night. and morning, and lunch the next day.
---
the taste of life
oh isn't it a worn-out city
where tired sighs + petty lies
+ bitter vines grow
a people of broken memories
we turn aside, desensitized,
smother the child inside
what's so golden about silence?
why should songs of hope be hidden?
come awake and feel alive again,
the things that matter
free the child inside
to love again
the taste of life
acquainted with the ordinary
a nine to five
don't recognize who you are anymore
surrendered to secondary
yet on this earth your life is worth
more than you know
we all need a stress-reliever
be unashamed to share your flavour
wide awake, bring to life again
the dreams that matter
----
the next day, i was zonked, grouchy and our lack of practice was incredibly shameful.
i feel like this is where sayings like "God loves to stack the odds against Himself" come in. we messed up badly a few times, and the sound system was awful. jack+rai (they are the alpha and omega, our beginning and end.. the ultimate STALKERS) looked less than thrilled. probably the only good thing they said was 'beautiful lyrics'.
trudging home to sleep, i felt kinda stupid and ashamed that we even did that. knew the odds of us getting in were pretty slim. if they judged based on performance eloquency, we were goners.
nevertheless, in my sleep-deprived state, i mused that i wouldn't have traded this for an easier audition.
dude, imagine the day before, i told rach to write a song about a guy who tries to get his gf back with ice-cream. there you have it- making peace, cause you love her, and with ice cream. she refused.
i understood. that was cheap. and a complete waste of the stage, if i may put it that way.
i didn't want to do l+w again either, because.. what's the point.. they've already heard it. we're not gonna score anymore points than yesterday except maybe with matt's add-on (yay matt!). either way, cathay's already heard it. it's been released there.
when we started practicing 'taste of life' all together, the sheer rhythmic craziness of the song came to light. there was no way we cld fit in a 2nd guitar part convincingly, and real decent djembe part would take.. more than the 1-2hours we had to work out.
and we were probably the only band who needed to see our scores, since we couldn't remember how it went from memory, a song we finished at lunchtime.
'sarah' was nearly as big a risk as the new one. it wasn't yet tested or refined, and we pretty much made up a djembe and 2nd guit part in the hour before.
but yeah.. as i went home i decided that i wouldn't mind if we didn't get in.. cuz we had done songs that were important to us and meant something deeper than ice cream and looking/sounding good/confident.
perhaps the key is that we never want to shortchange ourselves+our audience (w.r.t. song content at least), or take 'the path of least resistance' + compromise on what we're here for.
at 9pm, when i am dropping off to sleep, turns out that we didn't get into top5 (naturally). BUT they decided to give 2 more bands a chance, so in the end we are in.. the Top 7.
haha.
so my facebook status that nite was "God is officially funny." it's like He 'die die' must let us get in.. i don't get it.
all i know is we were small fries among big fish ('david + goliath' as rach says) + getting in had hardly anything to do with us.
so we stumble around + into the sept 12 event (oceans of ice-cream and ice-cream-eating people), as puzzled as ever why we will be there..
we get to record a song as part of a Ben+Jerry's CD, and get "$500 worth of B+J's ice-cream and merchandise" o.O
to recap the b+j's audition a bit, we could have easily taken the easy way out. sing sarah mclachlan's ice cream, do love+water again (which we did in the first round and got us through). work on 'sarah' instead of spending countless hours on a new one.
it just seemed that as we examined the 'peace, love + ice cream' theme, there was so much of an opportunity to address things that really mattered. things that speak of the coming, here and now, Kingdom.
so with no less than 20 different words and phrases scribbled around a sheet of rough paper, we started carving out a song, deep into the night. and morning, and lunch the next day.
---
the taste of life
oh isn't it a worn-out city
where tired sighs + petty lies
+ bitter vines grow
a people of broken memories
we turn aside, desensitized,
smother the child inside
what's so golden about silence?
why should songs of hope be hidden?
come awake and feel alive again,
the things that matter
free the child inside
to love again
the taste of life
acquainted with the ordinary
a nine to five
don't recognize who you are anymore
surrendered to secondary
yet on this earth your life is worth
more than you know
we all need a stress-reliever
be unashamed to share your flavour
wide awake, bring to life again
the dreams that matter
----
the next day, i was zonked, grouchy and our lack of practice was incredibly shameful.
i feel like this is where sayings like "God loves to stack the odds against Himself" come in. we messed up badly a few times, and the sound system was awful. jack+rai (they are the alpha and omega, our beginning and end.. the ultimate STALKERS) looked less than thrilled. probably the only good thing they said was 'beautiful lyrics'.
trudging home to sleep, i felt kinda stupid and ashamed that we even did that. knew the odds of us getting in were pretty slim. if they judged based on performance eloquency, we were goners.
nevertheless, in my sleep-deprived state, i mused that i wouldn't have traded this for an easier audition.
dude, imagine the day before, i told rach to write a song about a guy who tries to get his gf back with ice-cream. there you have it- making peace, cause you love her, and with ice cream. she refused.
i understood. that was cheap. and a complete waste of the stage, if i may put it that way.
i didn't want to do l+w again either, because.. what's the point.. they've already heard it. we're not gonna score anymore points than yesterday except maybe with matt's add-on (yay matt!). either way, cathay's already heard it. it's been released there.
when we started practicing 'taste of life' all together, the sheer rhythmic craziness of the song came to light. there was no way we cld fit in a 2nd guitar part convincingly, and real decent djembe part would take.. more than the 1-2hours we had to work out.
and we were probably the only band who needed to see our scores, since we couldn't remember how it went from memory, a song we finished at lunchtime.
'sarah' was nearly as big a risk as the new one. it wasn't yet tested or refined, and we pretty much made up a djembe and 2nd guit part in the hour before.
but yeah.. as i went home i decided that i wouldn't mind if we didn't get in.. cuz we had done songs that were important to us and meant something deeper than ice cream and looking/sounding good/confident.
perhaps the key is that we never want to shortchange ourselves+our audience (w.r.t. song content at least), or take 'the path of least resistance' + compromise on what we're here for.
at 9pm, when i am dropping off to sleep, turns out that we didn't get into top5 (naturally). BUT they decided to give 2 more bands a chance, so in the end we are in.. the Top 7.
haha.
so my facebook status that nite was "God is officially funny." it's like He 'die die' must let us get in.. i don't get it.
all i know is we were small fries among big fish ('david + goliath' as rach says) + getting in had hardly anything to do with us.
so we stumble around + into the sept 12 event (oceans of ice-cream and ice-cream-eating people), as puzzled as ever why we will be there..
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
updates for our fellow christian warriors
Hi there!
sorry we haven't checked in here for quite a while..
We've been crazy busy with various stuff... like we did a wedding gig last Sunday (which we hope to not do it ever again) but God has been gracious.. we exchanged name cards with some people, so hopefully more opportunities for more partnerships in the future and also a chance to earn some moo-lah to fund our EP expenditure.. And yes, we managed to sell 5 EPs during our soft launch at the wedding. thank God. the funny thing is that our printers burned our CDs as CD-R!!!!??! Turns out their PCs cannot burn as audio CDs, so poor yinky and myself have to burn every single piece of CD ourselves! Yes, all 500 copies.. she's already done 30 so far.. 470 more to go.. 4 Macs... God bless us...
anyway, yes, speaking of the EP.. we really need prayer! we'll be throwing 2 EP launch gigs this and next sunday! there's not much time to prep and prac, and quite a lot to see to within such a short time (CD-burning, slotting, keeping records, gathering volunteers to help us run the event, program flow, meeting with venue manager, printers and prac for gig) we really need prayer for strength, protection, joy, peace, unity, wisdom, much favor, and most of all, pray that the songs will connect the listener to God in a deep way.
though the songs are not explicitly christian, they do possess underlying themes of faith, hope, love etc... judging from the themes, it is obvious that it is a piece of work done by christians. so pray that holy spirit will use these songs to reach the hardened and dark places of the hearts who will be taking in the melodies and lyrics, esp for our humanist friends whose human wisdom scares me sometimes because these people truly do not believe in a God, or if they do, their image of God is one that is skewed. really pray for hearts to be open and tender as we speak at the EP launch as well. for wisdom and revelation to share the right things etc. esp for me because unlike yinky, i have a natural tendency to babble and go on and on about nothing really, when i get nervous. yinky injects a lot of thought into things before she says stuff. so i'm very relieved to have a partner as level-headed and cool as her. =) yay, you.
also, do pray for sales. we're targeting 500 before we leave the country. (june) it's a short amount of time, but we truly believe God will provide. He already has in so many ways. for eg, coffee nations cafe and global sounds cafe have so kindly accepted our offer to put our EPs at their stores - with no commission taken! and we've already received a few orders. but they ain't enough. so do pray! =) after we come back in aug, we kinda have plans to continue with the sales of EP and with promos etc.. but not sure yet. will keep u guys posted!
can't believe school is one month away (wow, if you still dunno what is going on here, go to www.awakenthedreamer.wordpress.com to read the whole story!), and yinky will be away as well. i guess it will be a good time for us both to recharge our batteries, learn some stuff, rest, and when we get back together in august, i'm believing for an even greater time of cove-redding and clearer directions etc.
speaking of which, guys, please pray for directions for me, esp during this US trip. "i am empty but i know your love does not run dry." well, i am pretty much going to run on empty soon as i look at my fund's rapid depletion. (received my last paycheck about a week ago, after deducting $ for EP stuff, bills and people, i'm pretty much left with peanuts) people who know me would know that i've already quit my job in order to pursue my calling (which i believe is to be a voice for Him out there, but dunno how and where? people have asked me why i dun wanna take on a part-time job for now. well, simple. i just quit my part-time job because i wanna be full-time for God. so why jump into another part-time job bcoz of fear? i dun get it.) so now, i'm banking on the EP and upcoming gigs and deals to earn some cash to tide me over these few months. so please pray for God to show me exactly where and to point the way real quick. things are very exciting now and i'm happy because i'm doing what i love and people are supporting us so much, but my financial state is also a very real issue, so yeah would appreciate ur prayers! but not to worry, i'm not downcast or anything. in fact, i feel so much peace, it's pretty unbelievable, though sometimes i still kinda wonder how on earth and when $ will come rolling in.. =P with God, it is a done deal that it will be done. but his timing and method often come as a surprise! =)
anyway, thanks for reading this! and you guys, thanks so much for the support you have shown to us all this while. we're so thankful for your partnership, prayers and love! =)
DANKE schoen!
Rach
sorry we haven't checked in here for quite a while..
We've been crazy busy with various stuff... like we did a wedding gig last Sunday (which we hope to not do it ever again) but God has been gracious.. we exchanged name cards with some people, so hopefully more opportunities for more partnerships in the future and also a chance to earn some moo-lah to fund our EP expenditure.. And yes, we managed to sell 5 EPs during our soft launch at the wedding. thank God. the funny thing is that our printers burned our CDs as CD-R!!!!??! Turns out their PCs cannot burn as audio CDs, so poor yinky and myself have to burn every single piece of CD ourselves! Yes, all 500 copies.. she's already done 30 so far.. 470 more to go.. 4 Macs... God bless us...
anyway, yes, speaking of the EP.. we really need prayer! we'll be throwing 2 EP launch gigs this and next sunday! there's not much time to prep and prac, and quite a lot to see to within such a short time (CD-burning, slotting, keeping records, gathering volunteers to help us run the event, program flow, meeting with venue manager, printers and prac for gig) we really need prayer for strength, protection, joy, peace, unity, wisdom, much favor, and most of all, pray that the songs will connect the listener to God in a deep way.
though the songs are not explicitly christian, they do possess underlying themes of faith, hope, love etc... judging from the themes, it is obvious that it is a piece of work done by christians. so pray that holy spirit will use these songs to reach the hardened and dark places of the hearts who will be taking in the melodies and lyrics, esp for our humanist friends whose human wisdom scares me sometimes because these people truly do not believe in a God, or if they do, their image of God is one that is skewed. really pray for hearts to be open and tender as we speak at the EP launch as well. for wisdom and revelation to share the right things etc. esp for me because unlike yinky, i have a natural tendency to babble and go on and on about nothing really, when i get nervous. yinky injects a lot of thought into things before she says stuff. so i'm very relieved to have a partner as level-headed and cool as her. =) yay, you.
also, do pray for sales. we're targeting 500 before we leave the country. (june) it's a short amount of time, but we truly believe God will provide. He already has in so many ways. for eg, coffee nations cafe and global sounds cafe have so kindly accepted our offer to put our EPs at their stores - with no commission taken! and we've already received a few orders. but they ain't enough. so do pray! =) after we come back in aug, we kinda have plans to continue with the sales of EP and with promos etc.. but not sure yet. will keep u guys posted!
can't believe school is one month away (wow, if you still dunno what is going on here, go to www.awakenthedreamer.wordpress.com to read the whole story!), and yinky will be away as well. i guess it will be a good time for us both to recharge our batteries, learn some stuff, rest, and when we get back together in august, i'm believing for an even greater time of cove-redding and clearer directions etc.
speaking of which, guys, please pray for directions for me, esp during this US trip. "i am empty but i know your love does not run dry." well, i am pretty much going to run on empty soon as i look at my fund's rapid depletion. (received my last paycheck about a week ago, after deducting $ for EP stuff, bills and people, i'm pretty much left with peanuts) people who know me would know that i've already quit my job in order to pursue my calling (which i believe is to be a voice for Him out there, but dunno how and where? people have asked me why i dun wanna take on a part-time job for now. well, simple. i just quit my part-time job because i wanna be full-time for God. so why jump into another part-time job bcoz of fear? i dun get it.) so now, i'm banking on the EP and upcoming gigs and deals to earn some cash to tide me over these few months. so please pray for God to show me exactly where and to point the way real quick. things are very exciting now and i'm happy because i'm doing what i love and people are supporting us so much, but my financial state is also a very real issue, so yeah would appreciate ur prayers! but not to worry, i'm not downcast or anything. in fact, i feel so much peace, it's pretty unbelievable, though sometimes i still kinda wonder how on earth and when $ will come rolling in.. =P with God, it is a done deal that it will be done. but his timing and method often come as a surprise! =)
anyway, thanks for reading this! and you guys, thanks so much for the support you have shown to us all this while. we're so thankful for your partnership, prayers and love! =)
DANKE schoen!
Rach
Saturday, May 2, 2009
paint the pub red
amazed i could finally sing my God-songs in a pub. [red lantern showcase @ next page pub]
:) how weird and how cool. today is a milestone.
yk
:) how weird and how cool. today is a milestone.
yk
Thursday, April 9, 2009
rj!
cool! i got to witness some rj peeps worshipping God today at a crusade gd fri outreach event (too bad it wasn't in rj itself tho.. anyway the old building is gone). i have never seen that in school in my life. i am so thankful that God let me see it in my lifetime. watched some capable young leaders who assured me that the future of christian-gathering in rj was in good hands..
rj to me was always only about studying and band and friends. (so was st nick's, even tho it was a catholic school.) i'd never associated christian fellowship with school. it was non-existent in my vocab.
anyway, we played numb, bring me to life and fix you as part of a drama.. first 2 were so intense n i missed a ton of right chords/harmony.. hehe. scary man.
to admit, i was quite amazed that none of the audience walked out during the worship.. i can imagine that uni students and older (esp. humanist grp...hehehe) might have done so. i guess we've met many Christian/religion/God-haters lately n have come to expect that most ppl are just as cynical. i m real happy that non-cynics still exist in this world.
they were so BOLD! in proclaiming Jesus n just being worshippers. even the crusade staff were surprised. cuz nowadays we always talk about how pple don't wanna hear churchy jargon etcetcetc., so must engage at the audience's level, be relevant... etcetc. seemed to happen only after worship tho.
real encouraged by them. yay rj.
gnite
yk
Friday, March 27, 2009
Overdue Attempt At Reflecting aka Blogging
I've never been much of a reflective person. I'm not a pensive creature, though I'd like to consider myself one. Well, I do over-think sometimes. Mostly about life-giving stuff like where to get my next cuppa... and how long it'll take to travel from point A to B etc. You know, the important things in life.
When Yinky casually hinted that I should contribute to the blog (okay, she basically told me to "write a blog post!") I felt that it was time to get my brains working, fulfill my duty as the other half of Cove Red and get down to sharing my thoughts, as Yinky has faithfully done so for the past few weeks. (sheepish)
Yes. I'm deeply ashamed.
Without further ado (read: procrastination), here's the Cove Red story through my eyes.
Since the start of Cove Red about 1.5 months ago, life has been unpredictable, crazily interesting and terribly exciting - and busy too! As mentioned in previous posts, we've played at some really interesting/weird events and places. Some of the most memorable ones are the interfaith dialogue at a Sikh Temple where we attempted to sing a prophetic song to a group of puzzled and mixed group of listeners (we literally had to remove our footwear before entering the hall and nearly donned a head scarf!) the monthly humanist gatherings where we're fast gaining popularity (for the music, not our faith) and interest (for our faith, not just the music) It's just been so much fun talking to new people who are super enthusiastic about slamming our Christian faith and shooting hard questions that we find impossible to answer because with every attempt to rebut comes ten more questions. =) That's how passionate they are. And we love it, though we feel sad that they've yet to fathom the fact that the simple truth of God is the answer to ALL the humanly hard questions, and that is not sufficient to satisfy their palate for sophisticated scientific hunger for proof. (as if Darwin's claim for Evolution being the reason behind all developed creation has already been proven to be true) =P
Anyway, that said, I'm even more ashamed when they revisit church history with us. The bloodshed, the ugly side of the bride. =( We hate it. But that is why we're there. To show them there are people, Christian people, who don't mind being ridiculed for our faith, if only to show that we are not hard, religious nuts who love to impose our rules on unbelievers and slam them for not believing in our God (yes, the same God who endorses FREE WILL and practices LOVE) A guy we met last night, Dan, said something like this, "at least I feel comfortable having a conversation with you two Christians". That just hit home for me.
I think at the end of the day, Cove Red exists not just to churn out bloody good music. I feel that because we're so weird/random/nonchalant about how others think of us/ unafraid of hearing not-so-nice/vicious things about our faith etc, we're the perfect candidates to infiltrate the enemy's camp filled with the confused/bitter/hard-hearted/strange/proud/hurting, camouflage with our "secular" music and unchristian and unconventional ways of befriending the POWs, and attempt to rescue some! "One more for Jesus!" LOL.
I'm not sure what the future holds for us really. We've encountered much more and done way beyond what I thought we would do within the short span of 1.5 months. And we're ready for more. International ministry to the crushed n oppressed etc (like orphans, human trafficking victims etc, hungry etc) and local ministry to the materially comfortable but poor in spirit alike. We just want more. I believe He will honour this as we desire more of His presence and sink our teeth into His meaty word of truth and life. The glory dust incident was already such an assurance to us that He's with us on this. It's not merely our good ideas, but His! What an assurance indeed!
Anyway, tomorrow spells the start of our retreat. Yay!
By the way, if you're free next Wed (1st April) from 8pm to 10pm, do come down to the Wild Oats Cafe at Mt Emily to catch us live! =) We're the featured artists of the month, so we'll be sharing some originals.
Here's the link to location map: http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/WO-contact%20us.htm
Have an awesome weekend, dear readers!
Cove!
When Yinky casually hinted that I should contribute to the blog (okay, she basically told me to "write a blog post!") I felt that it was time to get my brains working, fulfill my duty as the other half of Cove Red and get down to sharing my thoughts, as Yinky has faithfully done so for the past few weeks. (sheepish)
Yes. I'm deeply ashamed.
Without further ado (read: procrastination), here's the Cove Red story through my eyes.
Since the start of Cove Red about 1.5 months ago, life has been unpredictable, crazily interesting and terribly exciting - and busy too! As mentioned in previous posts, we've played at some really interesting/weird events and places. Some of the most memorable ones are the interfaith dialogue at a Sikh Temple where we attempted to sing a prophetic song to a group of puzzled and mixed group of listeners (we literally had to remove our footwear before entering the hall and nearly donned a head scarf!) the monthly humanist gatherings where we're fast gaining popularity (for the music, not our faith) and interest (for our faith, not just the music) It's just been so much fun talking to new people who are super enthusiastic about slamming our Christian faith and shooting hard questions that we find impossible to answer because with every attempt to rebut comes ten more questions. =) That's how passionate they are. And we love it, though we feel sad that they've yet to fathom the fact that the simple truth of God is the answer to ALL the humanly hard questions, and that is not sufficient to satisfy their palate for sophisticated scientific hunger for proof. (as if Darwin's claim for Evolution being the reason behind all developed creation has already been proven to be true) =P
Anyway, that said, I'm even more ashamed when they revisit church history with us. The bloodshed, the ugly side of the bride. =( We hate it. But that is why we're there. To show them there are people, Christian people, who don't mind being ridiculed for our faith, if only to show that we are not hard, religious nuts who love to impose our rules on unbelievers and slam them for not believing in our God (yes, the same God who endorses FREE WILL and practices LOVE) A guy we met last night, Dan, said something like this, "at least I feel comfortable having a conversation with you two Christians". That just hit home for me.
I think at the end of the day, Cove Red exists not just to churn out bloody good music. I feel that because we're so weird/random/nonchalant about how others think of us/ unafraid of hearing not-so-nice/vicious things about our faith etc, we're the perfect candidates to infiltrate the enemy's camp filled with the confused/bitter/hard-hearted/strange/proud/hurting, camouflage with our "secular" music and unchristian and unconventional ways of befriending the POWs, and attempt to rescue some! "One more for Jesus!" LOL.
I'm not sure what the future holds for us really. We've encountered much more and done way beyond what I thought we would do within the short span of 1.5 months. And we're ready for more. International ministry to the crushed n oppressed etc (like orphans, human trafficking victims etc, hungry etc) and local ministry to the materially comfortable but poor in spirit alike. We just want more. I believe He will honour this as we desire more of His presence and sink our teeth into His meaty word of truth and life. The glory dust incident was already such an assurance to us that He's with us on this. It's not merely our good ideas, but His! What an assurance indeed!
Anyway, tomorrow spells the start of our retreat. Yay!
By the way, if you're free next Wed (1st April) from 8pm to 10pm, do come down to the Wild Oats Cafe at Mt Emily to catch us live! =) We're the featured artists of the month, so we'll be sharing some originals.
Here's the link to location map: http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/WO-contact%20us.htm
Have an awesome weekend, dear readers!
Cove!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Welcome Note & Some Prayer Requests!
WELCOME to COVE RED's SECRET BLOG!
I'm pretty sure you're here because of our (Yinky and mine) Facebook msgs. =) AH... the wonders of technology. Anyway, we'll be updating more stuff here as often as we can! For now, you can pray for:
- Upcoming gig @ Humanist gathering this THURSDAY. Pray for smooth setup (sound was terrible), open hearts as we sing and share some stuff about the songs and what we think about Compassion.
- OOOM5 Performance (Originals Only Open Mike) Next Wednesday! We're featured artists of the month, so we'll be performing some originals and sharing our stories behind the songs. Pray for connection, open hearts again, distinct difference between us and other performers because of His Presence.
- Upcoming Red Lanterns Selections (an acoustic showcase). It's kinda like an audition. If we do get in, we'll get a chance to perform at their showcase sometime later.
- VERY IMPORTANTLY, Yinky and I will be retreating into our coves (or rather, YMCA...If we get a space) this SATURDAY and SUNDAY just to take time to pray/worship/think and figure out what to do and what not to undertake. We need clarity, discernment, wisdom, revelation, sensitive hearts/ears/spirits, empowerment, and of course energy as we filter and figure
out what our direction should be as a band and even as individuals.
Thanks dear friends for taking time to check out this space and for praying and journeying with us! =) We're immensely thankful for your love. Please drop us a comment to let us know your thoughts. If you have a prayer request, do feel free to drop us an email @ cove2red@gmail.com so that we can uphold you in prayer as well!
Love lots!
Rach
----------------------
For Yinky's friends who haven't read my mail, *hi, i'm rachael!* here it is!
"Dear friends!
My friend, Yinky (Su Yin)and I recently formed a band called "Cove Red" Well, basically, our aim is to infiltrate the music scene and "invade the darkness with bloody good songs!".
Our heart's cry is to reach those beyond the church's radar. The poor in spirit, the atheist, the oppressed, the burdened, the hardened, the captive. We hope to do that by combining music and missions (local and overseas), and sharing our original songs and stories at various gigs etc.
It's been a good 1,5 months since we started Cove Red, and God has been ridiculously blessing us with amazing favor with the most unlikely ones (christian-bashing humanists/atheists/agnostics) and crazy opportunities (performed on local TV, at local arts hub (Esplanade) hip youth centre in town (*scape) etc) It's been a wild ride! We figured that we needed some serious prayer covering and support from you guys..
..We're thrilled to be a part of God's revolution to redeem His people through first reclaiming the Arts! Are you?
Love,
Rach aka Cove"
I'm pretty sure you're here because of our (Yinky and mine) Facebook msgs. =) AH... the wonders of technology. Anyway, we'll be updating more stuff here as often as we can! For now, you can pray for:
- Upcoming gig @ Humanist gathering this THURSDAY. Pray for smooth setup (sound was terrible), open hearts as we sing and share some stuff about the songs and what we think about Compassion.
- OOOM5 Performance (Originals Only Open Mike) Next Wednesday! We're featured artists of the month, so we'll be performing some originals and sharing our stories behind the songs. Pray for connection, open hearts again, distinct difference between us and other performers because of His Presence.
- Upcoming Red Lanterns Selections (an acoustic showcase). It's kinda like an audition. If we do get in, we'll get a chance to perform at their showcase sometime later.
- VERY IMPORTANTLY, Yinky and I will be retreating into our coves (or rather, YMCA...If we get a space) this SATURDAY and SUNDAY just to take time to pray/worship/think and figure out what to do and what not to undertake. We need clarity, discernment, wisdom, revelation, sensitive hearts/ears/spirits, empowerment, and of course energy as we filter and figure
out what our direction should be as a band and even as individuals.
Thanks dear friends for taking time to check out this space and for praying and journeying with us! =) We're immensely thankful for your love. Please drop us a comment to let us know your thoughts. If you have a prayer request, do feel free to drop us an email @ cove2red@gmail.com so that we can uphold you in prayer as well!
Love lots!
Rach
----------------------
For Yinky's friends who haven't read my mail, *hi, i'm rachael!* here it is!
"Dear friends!
My friend, Yinky (Su Yin)and I recently formed a band called "Cove Red" Well, basically, our aim is to infiltrate the music scene and "invade the darkness with bloody good songs!".
Our heart's cry is to reach those beyond the church's radar. The poor in spirit, the atheist, the oppressed, the burdened, the hardened, the captive. We hope to do that by combining music and missions (local and overseas), and sharing our original songs and stories at various gigs etc.
It's been a good 1,5 months since we started Cove Red, and God has been ridiculously blessing us with amazing favor with the most unlikely ones (christian-bashing humanists/atheists/agnostics) and crazy opportunities (performed on local TV, at local arts hub (Esplanade) hip youth centre in town (*scape) etc) It's been a wild ride! We figured that we needed some serious prayer covering and support from you guys..
..We're thrilled to be a part of God's revolution to redeem His people through first reclaiming the Arts! Are you?
Love,
Rach aka Cove"
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