Hear ye, hear ye!

montage tm2, originally uploaded by mincaye.

Ever since TMsquared began in June 2004, Soo Tian and I have collaborated on many things. Of these, some were instrumental in moulding us into God-following individuals, while others were *ahem* random adventures on various tangents.

But these pursuits, thoughtful and trivial, each played a part in landing us where we are now. And we feel it is time to expand and bring others into this adventure of ours.

After all, getting cooked alone by cannibals is no fun; but getting cooked in the same pot as your friends is a party: the more, the merrier!

The pictures above were taken at the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), where we watched a jazz performance on Friday night. The quintet, called Global Spirit, comprised of musicians from various parts of the world, and of various descent, hence the name.

Our move is in a similar direction. This isn't so much an expansion of TMsquared as it is an exploration of wholly new territory. And so a shift from an adventure of convergence (TMsquared) to one of divergence, is one that warrants, and in fact requires, a diverse team.

And for this, we have chosen Alissa, David, Yen Yen and Tee Ming. We now have three girls and three guys: of these, two Methodists, a Pentecostal, an Anglican, a Presbyterian and a Brethren.

Over the past two years, Soo Tian and I read through Eugene Peterson's Message paraphrase of the Bible, and studied the Wisdom Books. This time around, we are going to explore classical and contemporary works in the Christian tradition. They are:

1. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
2. John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress
3. Marvin Wong, Between Friends
4. Ronald Sider, Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience
5. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

In the spirit of divergence, we will not follow any particular order. The idea is simply to read all of them by the end of this year. This blog is for our thoughts along the way, something like a free space within which to chart our exploration.

'Akouo' means 'to hear,' and this is something I'm bad at. I am often quicker to speak than to listen, faster with the words than the wait, more eager to get something done than simply be still.

At least, for me, this is one of the reasons for expanding the vision of TMsquared. There is much I hope to learn from the books mentioned above; but it is the interaction with friends along the way, that I believe will shape me into the kind of person God wants me to be.

Along the way, there will probably be stumbles. As such, this blog is not just for abstract thoughts on our reading list, but also a place to express our trials and triumphs. We're not finished yet; God's not done with us. So let the journey begin!