I was at a non-work/community volunteer type of training in the city on Sat. It was supposed to go on till 4 but there was a birthday party on, near home. A gorgeous little princess was turning 3 – a precocious little thing whose love for people around her (and food…) is so magnetic that it was hard to even be late for the party, let alone miss it.

And so I left the training soon after lunch, and came home in time to get to the party with Tress.

Later that night, I started to think about what I thought might happen the next day.

Some thought there was going to be a question and answer session in LifeGate church that arvo. I said to my mate that if he wanted to be present to say something, I would be with him.

I wanted to be there and stand with him. In the same way I was there and stood with Lim Kit Siang on the night his son, Lim Guan Eng was sentenced to jail, back in Malaysia in the 1990’s.

I have always believed a wrong need to be called out, and efforts to fix the wrong must be made. No one can and should think of carrying on as though life goes on, by simply discarding the wrong. Justice I think is front and centre of Christianity.

In particular, if a church has committed a wrong, so much more it needs to fix the wrong before it can move on. To move on without fixing the wrong is to betray what a church is all about. It isn’t just about coming together. It is coming together in truth, sharing in a righteousness won for us by our God, who “stopped” to fix our problems before “moving on”. Righteousness is perhaps together with justice at the front and centre of Christianity.

Anyway, as it turned out the fabled question and answer fizzled out into a non-event.

I had in any event, thought about being at the Q&A, to be with my brother – as he responds to misleading and dishonest things said about him. In thinking about how the session may pan out, one of the scenarios played out in my mind was one of reconciliation.

I was preparing to contemplate the prospect of reconciliation, should the Q&A elicit answers and responses that lead to a genuine step to fix things. That then would have truly constituted thoughts, feelings and actions that accompany responses to what God has initiated. That was a prospect in my mind because I believe that is what God wants. God does not want us to forget things in a hurry. He wants us to deal with things. Moving forward can only be meaningful, and therefore fruitful, if it is done in a way which doesn’t sacrifice the elements of truth, justice and righteousness.

Alas, the prospect of substantive reconciliation dissipated and the spectre of moving forward with unholy haste and of lies, deceit and bad faith continue to hang over LifeGate Church.

26.38. By itself it looks good. In fact I might have had a car with a plate bearing those numbers. Chinese love these numbers. Loosely it may be read to sound like “easy path bears prosperity”. Silly perhaps but in a community where one goes out every day to scrap to earn a living and provide for the family, every little bit helps – even loose numerology of some sort.

Those numbers were in reference to Sir Alex Ferguson of course.

26 years (and a bit) bearing 38 trophies.

The match last night was due to start 12.45am and I have a (another) busy week so I hadn’t planned to watch it. I did however set up the hard disk recorder. Hopefully I got the programming right and hopefully I had it recording long enough to include all post match activities. I’d find out tonight…

Again, “Thank You”, Sir Alex. Your hard work and dedication meant so much to so many.

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• Sir Alex Ferguson Retires, Man Utd Confirms (news.sky.com)
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• Sir Alex Ferguson: Man Utd lift Premier League trophy (arunbabyveranakunnel.wordpress.com)
• Time for a change: Sir Alex Ferguson leaves Manchester United… and Wayne Rooney wants to leave too (independent.co.uk)
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The message that Jason has missed board meetings for a number of months and is therefore justifiably removed from the church board, is a wrong one.

The leaders know it is a misleading message and it is dishonest for them to use it. It is bad faith approach to leadership. Or simply incompetent.

Jason missed meetings because he had a specific injury (not general health issues) and because of probity reasons. That stretched over a period which included 2-3 months of summer holidays where people were away and travelling. To use the overall period in the message without detailing the particulars is misleading and dishonest. It is mischievous.

Even if that is to be a bona fide basis for their misconceived action, the leaders ought to have given Jason notice that they were going down that path. To deny him natural justice is not just illegal and subject to challenge under the law of this land, it is also downright unbecoming of church leaders.

When will they start to act correctly and honourably?

Again, after all that Jason has done for this church, is this how he should be treated. Hang in shame.

 

First they lock out discussions about Jason’s exit. Now they appear to be locking out people from the AGM.

Members from the Chinese congregation, who have been attending the church for a number of years, find themselves in the process of being excluded from the AGM. These are members who have raised questions about what has happened to Jason.

If they are not careful, the Department of Justice may take an interest in this approach of keeping things private and behind closed doors, excluding parties who have been part of this organisation for a long time.

An injunction from the Supreme Court may well succeed, to prevent the AGM from proceeding. A mandamus may also succeed, to seek redress of Jason’s situation.

If they want to go down the legalistic path by excluding members from AGM simply because of membership roll hygiene, they should be ready for the spectre of a legal action for administrative recourse such as injunction and mandamus. Together with a certiorari of course – to declare their act against Jason to be wrong at law.

Chances are no one wants to go down that path. And that is a good thing. I am just seeing this legalistic approach to doing church, by excluding long-time members from AGM simply because of membership roll hygiene as a wrong and dangerous one.

And then there’s the tribal instinct kicking in. “I support Tham Fuan because…” shows this instinct clearly. “Dichotomy of (sic – between?) this group and that group” I wasn’t talking about either of those matters. I don’t subscribe to such tribal views of matters.

I have stood on the other side of the fence against Jason before. A number of times.

It isn’t about being on the side of Jason or Tham Fuan.

It is about whether what the leaders (including Tham Fuan) have done was right or wrong. Talking in terms of being on the side of Jason or Tham Fuan is being tribal. Being objective to see what the leaders have done is a better option. But no – the discussion has been shut down. Rally together and forge ahead. Stick to your tribe.

Being tribal means you follow and do whatever your tribe leaders say. You don’t think for yourself. You don’t see what has happened. You see what the tribe leaders want you to see. If these leaders forge ahead leaving questions unanswered you are ok because you are part of the tribe and sticking together as a tribe is important. More important than seeing whether what these leaders have done is right or wrong.

If the church is to be built on legalism and tribalism, then certainly they need to be fasting and praying.

“I believe it is now time to put aside all differences (also put aside a very badly treated leader) and ill feelings (dont feel bad – even if your fellow board members knife you in the back) and work towards building the church (built on shaming your leaders) that would bring glory and honour to His name (gotta pray very hard).”

Sir Alex Ferguson will go “upstairs” after 19 May 2013. David Moyes is said to be ready to be named as his successor. Some websites and news clips have brought up lists of names, including Solskjaer and Giggs, as candidates. I’m sure that’s not going to happen. It would be like naming McGuinness after Sir Matt Busby.

I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping we wouldn’t be seeing another stream of managers coming in seeking to be accepted.

I remember following United when “The Doc” – Tommy Docherty – was the manager. Then he was sacked for inappropriate behaviour and Dave Sexton came in and then it was the larger than life Ron Atkinson, who despite bringing in Bryan Robson, brought the FA Cup but still shy of the league champion status the club sought and desperately needed.

Would Moyes or Mourinho continue to steer United along the paths of competing, fighting, striving and achieving? Whatever they achieve, it would likely still only be a pale shadow when looked against the beam cast by the living legend that is Sir Alex. Thank you Sir Alex, and au revoir.

Related articles

• Report: Moyes to replace Ferguson in next few days (prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com)
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• Latest Sports News: Moyes on the brink (journallive.co.uk)
• David Moyes will replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager on Thursday (telegraph.co.uk)

I’ve fielded calls, and received emails. They all wanted to know what happened to Jason. I said to go ask their leaders. That was the whole point of my emails anyway. Some have said they wanted to be heard in the AGM. I said that was up to them. Some asked if I was going to the AGM. I said I wasn’t going anywhere near a group who does such a thing to someone who has been as selfless and sacrificial as Jason. I would have nothing to do with them from hereonin. But they said I should be at the AGM to bring these matters up. On balance, the greater need is for me dissociate myself from this mob.

Some others have tried pot shots. Anonymous stuff. I’m guessing these are from that church because that’s what they like. Secret ballots and the likes. That’s the sort of things they like. Keep it all behind closed doors. Especially when they’ve just executed one of their own. One who has given much to set up what they now have. I wonder who pulled the trigger here. I was saying to someone I was simply asking what’s that smell. I wasn’t the one responsible for the rubbish. But no shot messenger would be the last, such is life. Anonymous stuff goes straight into the bin. Martin Luther King said a riot is the voice of the unheard. Keep it all behind closed doors but the stench may eventually come out. Better have a story ready then.

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From: Teh, Ian
Sent: Wednesday, 8 May 2013 1:56 PM
To: [ ]’; [ ]
Cc: [ ]; [ ]; [ ]
Subject: RE: Favour Please

 Your next birthday we’ll get you a cardigan, a pipe and a rocking chair –

and you can tell  them you’re a rocking legend who’s smoking hot. Resign [for health issues]? Bleargh!

 

Regards

IAN TEH

T: 03 9200 4897

M: 0477 700 602

 

As I left home this morning and noted that Wigan was ahead of Swansea 2-1, I thought: “not again”.

I’m a Man Utd man through and through. I still get goosebumps when I watched clips like the 1999 Nou Camp feat, and I still cheer when I jump on You Tube and watch Giggsy cut off Viera’s tired pass to waltz through the entire Arsenal defense to send us through the second piece of the treble in that same year. Old Trafford is still a pantheon, and Shah Alam, Merdeka, National Stadiums in Singapore and Bangkok – all those grounds I’d go to watch them, still made me smile to just think about them.

But Wigan.. I get Wigan. I’m like that too in some ways. In Uni, I’d cram my work at the last minute to get through. Wigan’s end of season Houdini acts are beginning to look like an EPL season end ritual. Or at least I thought I did.  They lost 2-3. I guess up against the classy Michael Laudrup, Rob Martinez found it harder to pull off his magic.

2 more games to go but one of them is against Arsenal, who still has loads to play for. So maybe this time they’d go down.

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I left work later than usual last night. A couple of major things have been brewing away and the one upside of all this busy-ness is how fast each day is passing. Mondays can be slow sometimes but in recent weeks, I have been grateful for busy days because even Mondays passed by pretty quickly.

The Joy Davidman entry linked up with another blog which described the author’s pain. Yet, in spite of the pain, in spite of the admission of negativity arising from the pain, there was accomplishment. There appears to be a countervailing point of sorts.

I cannot recall if it was a you tube clip, an article or a book I came across recently which said maybe life isn’t like a road with up’s and down’s. That piece suggested instead, that life at any one point could maybe look more like a dual way road. At the same time where something wonderful is being experienced, one experiences pain and suffering, in parallel. It is less a case of having a wonderful experience now and confronted by challenges a few weeks or months later. It is more a case having both those contrasting experiences at or about the same time.

It might have been Rick Warren who said that and I might have heard or read someone quote him.

I don’t know what this means in practice, and whether it helps us deal with events life throw at us. I guess understanding – part of the picture if not the whole – always helps.

And so while Tress and I busy ourselves with work on weekdays, we cast an eye up north to also note that Kiddo appears to be keeping herself busy. The only one whiling away the day is the little black jedi.

We’ve been meaning to get rid of our 9 year old couch. It’s the one we got when we first got here back in 2004. It’s still alright but the way we’ve re-arranged the furniture last year, made this piece stand out like a sore thumb. We’ve lived with it for the past maybe 6-9 months now, wanting to get rid of it but not sure what the precise plans would look like. It’s especially hard to get rid of it because it’s Scruffi’s favourite piece of furniture. He is perched on the headrest of one corner for the most part of each day, looking out the window towards the park across the street.

The rest of us are busy however. With less connection with a wider body of people, my sense of others’ travails feels blunted. The blog author I referred to, appeared to have been in pain and I haven’t been in touch with someone like that for a while now. The feeling of reaching out and touching someone has been absent. I wonder if it will soon be filled with something else. I don’t want that to be something that puts things above people. In as much as there are people out there who needs help, there are those who has a need to be extending help.

The parallels of mixed experiences have I think, a replica of some sort in terms of busy-ness on the one hand and a need to connect on the other. There may be no link whatsoever but such is the nature of unfiltered and unprocessed experience I guess.

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