William Chong

Not to be confused with boy band Blue‘s legally-inspired pop hit, I chanced on this a cappella number from a friend’s barbershop CD. This song gives me goosebumps each time I hear it, and I like this song because:

1. It’s a fantastic performance.
The purity of sound from the group that performed this, Voices of Lee, is just a delight to listen to. It’s almost like wall of sound that wafts through my headphones each time I hear the different parts dovetail each other, and the lyrics paint a beautiful picture of entering the throne room of heaven, a la Revelation 4.

2. It’s a fantastic arrangement.
I won’t get too technical, but from the first cry of “All Rise!” set to a cluster chord, to the final cadence involving an ascending chromatic bass-line, this is a masterful arrangement. I’m not sure what the original sounded like (it was originally penned by gospel songwriter Babbie Mason), but this a cappella arrangement moves through at least four different key changes, hits some virtuosic high notes for the solo part (adeptly carried by Lester Rector’s shimmering tenor sound), and all in all just has the clear signature of a talented orchestrator/arranger.

3. It helps encourage me to be less earthbound.
One thing I’ve always thought was amazing in the Bible is how the angels don’t seem to have ever stopped singing praises to God. From Isaiah 6 right through to Revelations 4:8, they’ve been joyously singing “Holy Holy Holy” – now that’s unceasing worship. When the Voices of Lee broke into a verse of that in the middle of this song, it stirs my heart for a yearning to be there to do the same.

It looks like you can buy a CD with this track on it on this website, or alternatively you can get it off the 4 Voices CD here.

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It seemed like a good dose of providence when I heard on Friday that Habitat for Humanity NZ is getting stuck in with the mammoth task of rebuilding homes lost and damaged in the tsunami that hit Samoa:

From their press release:

Project Samoa Hope – Habitat for Humanity New Zealand responds to disaster

Habitat for Humanity New Zealand has announced today that it is responding to the Samoan Tsunami Disaster.

Habitat is sending a disaster relief expert with significant experience from the South Asia tsunami to Samoa to quickly assess the need for both emergency and long term shelter, and link with local agencies as they plan for the ongoing rebuilding work. Habitat has considerable experience in rebuilding tens of thousands of homes after the South Asia tsunami of December 2004.

An appeal has been launched for funds to help with both emergency shelter provision and the rebuilding of homes.

Habitat is also seeking expressions of interest from volunteer builders and trade persons who are able to go to Samoa and help with the cleanup and rebuilding. These can be sent to information@habitat.org.nz. Dates cannot be finalised until assessment of need and conditions is completed in Samoa, but Habitat will keep all interested parties informed of progress so that Kiwi teams can go to Samoa when the timing is right.

Habitat’s NZ Chief Executive, Pete North, says that this disaster has touched many families here in New Zealand as well as Samoa and Habitat New Zealand will lead the Habitat response in the reconstruction process.

Help today by making a donation to the Samoan Tsunami Disaster Appeal

You see, for the past 4-5 months I’ve been ekeing precious time out to pound the pavement and train up for the Auckland Marathon. To be honest, when I chose Habitat as the fundraising charity I didn’t imagine that the hard work of sponsors and supporters of my first full marathon would be used in such a way.

So it’s been with a real sense of purpose that I’ve been clocking up the training miles. Even just today while on my 24 km long run, I got a good three hours of solitude to ponder about many things, including the tragedy that hundreds of families in the Samoan community are dealing with right now.

For those interested in the stats, here’s my current training record. I’m glad that the money raised so far will directly benefit lives in Samoa. So if you see me out on the roads running my best, remember that you can help contribute towards my chosen charity by making a donation – either on my fundraising page (http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/williamchong), or directly through Habitat for Humanity’s tsunami appeal.

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Find out more:

Brightened my drive home from work yesterday!

It’s obviously a sombre and grief-stricken time for many in the Samoan and Pacific Island community. There’s a sizeable Samoan community in Auckland and Manukau that have been reeling from news and effects of the recent earthquake and tsunami.

In light of events like this, DesiringGod.org has a clear and concise explanation of where God is in all of this (written following the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami). Some excerpts:

1. Satan is not ultimate, God is.

Satan had a hand in Job’s misery, but not the decisive hand. God gave Satan permission to afflict Job (Job 1:12; 2:10). But Job and the writer of this book treat God as the ultimate and decisive cause. When Satan afflicts Job with sores, Job says to his wife, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10), and the writer calls these satanic sores “the evil that the Lord had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). So Satan is real. Satan brings misery. But Satan is not ultimate or decisive. He is on a leash. He goes no farther than God decisively permits.

Mmm.

For children, who are too young to process mentally the revelation of God in nature or Scripture, death is not the final word of judgment. God’s commitment to display his justice publicly means that he does not finally condemn sinful people who could not physically construe natural or special revelation (Romans 1:20). There is a difference between suppressing revelation that one can mentally comprehend (Romans 1:18), and not having a brain sufficient to comprehend it at all. Therefore, when small children suffer and die, we may not assume they are being punished or judged. No matter how horrible the suffering or death, God can turn it for their greater good.

That’s reassuring to know.

5. Christ calls us to show mercy to those who suffer, even if they do not deserve it.

That is the meaning of mercy—undeserved help. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).

Indeed, faith without deeds is dead.

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Aid appeals:
Habitat for Humanity NZ
NZ Red Cross
Tear Fund NZ