Alex Tang
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Books Recommendation
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
To Teach is To Touch Lives
A Retreat for Educators
May 29-31, 2015
Frasers Hill, Pahang, Malaysia
Welcome,
This is a Guided Retreat. Certain portion of the retreat will require you to be ‘silent’. What this means is that you do not talk to your friends (including spouses) during this period (colored blue in your retreat schedule) especially during meals time. You are in solitude and bring your solitude along with you wherever you go. Do not worry. You will be allowed time to talk. Please restrict your reading to the Bible and this retreat note.
What to bring
· No expectations
Come with no expectations. Do not expect God to speak to you. No expectation of spectacular divine revelations, projects to complete, KPI to be achieved, or great stories to tell. Just come open and free to the Spirit.
· No intention to fast from food
Unless you really want to fast, I usually discourage fasting in such a short retreat. The reason is that you will be distracted by your hunger pangs from what is happening during the retreat.
· Intention to fast from connectivity
It will be good to ‘fast’ from your handphone and Internet connectivity. Do plan not to be contactable during the time of the retreat especially during the ‘silent’ part. If you are worried about emergencies during the time your phone is off, you can arrange for a member of the group to be contactable for emergencies only while the rest of you can keep your phone switched off.
· Yourself
Bring yourself and other comfort items you deem essential to your well-being. This is a retreat, not a monastery.
Retreat Director: Dr Alex Tang
Email: alex.tang@kairos2.com
Website www.kairos2.com
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Time |
Friday, 29 May 2015 |
Saturday, 30 May 2015 |
Sunday, 31 May 2015 |
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Quiet Time |
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Reflect on Lamentations 3:21-25 |
Reflect on (Jeremiah 12:1-14) |
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8 am |
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Breakfast |
Breakfast |
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9am |
Reflection #2 The Call to be (Jeremiah 1:1-19)
meditate and pray on reflection #2*
read, meditate and pray Jeremiah 1:1-19
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Sunday Worship & Reflection #4 A People Apart (Jeremiah 35:14)
Reflection, Sharing and Review
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12.30pm |
Lunch |
Lunch |
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2pm |
Check in |
meditate and pray Jeremiah 7:1-34
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Home |
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7pm |
Dinner |
Dinner |
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8pm |
Reflection #1 Lamentations and the God of Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:21-25)
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Reflection #3 Run with horses (Jeremiah 12:5)
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11pm |
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Indicate ‘silent part’ of
retreat
meditate and pray*
Reflection #1 Lamentations and the God of Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:21-25)
What is the state of my spiritual life today? Write down your thoughts.
Reflection #2 The Call to be (Jeremiah 1:1-19)
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Jeremiah |
Us |
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Background (1:1-3) |
Society in chaos |
Society in chaos |
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God’s calling (1:4-5) |
Prophet to the nations |
People of God; God’s sons and daughters |
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The response (1:6) |
excuse |
? any excuse |
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God’s confirmation (1:7-14) |
(a) words (b) branch of almond tree (c) boiling pot |
(a) His revelation in the Bible (b) Jesus’ death and resurrection (c) Control of world affairs |
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God’s plan (1:15-16) |
Judgment on Judah |
New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) |
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God’s empowerment (1:17-19) |
(a) fortified city (b) iron pillar (c) bronze wall |
(a) New Nature (b) Bible (c) Holy Spirit |
1. Why do you want to teach?
2. How will you become a better teacher?
3. In what ways will you ensure that you remain a good teacher year after year?
4. How will you keep the passion to teach alive?
5. In what ways you will help each other to be better teachers?
6. How will spiritual growth affects your being and your teaching?
Meditate and pray Jeremiah 1:1-19; 7:1-34. What did the Lord remind you of while reading these passages? Write them down. Pray about them.
Reflection #3 Run with horses (Jeremiah 12:5)
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Challenges |
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People |
What are the challenges facing you and how will you overcome them? |
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(a) The plot on Jeremiah’s life (11:18-20)
(b) The refusal of the people to listen to Jeremiah and repent (11:21-23) and “Why does the wicked prospers?” (12:1-4)
(c) Idolatry
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“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out,
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If you stumble in safe country,
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(a) Jeremiah’s family and the men of Anathoth
(b) The nation of Judah and the nation of Judah and the surrounding nations
(c) Spiritual warfare |
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(a) more suffering for Jeremiah as he continue to prophecies
(b) God’s judgment on Judah (12:7-13) and God’s judgment on the surrounding nations (12:14-17)
(c) Idolatry |
how can you compete with horses?
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how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? |
(a) Jeremiah’s family and the men of Anathoth, the royal household, the nation of Judah (12:6)
(b) The nation of Judah and Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, Ammonites, Babylonians
(c)
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1. How do think God will want you to run with horses?
2. How do you think God will help you to run with horses?
3. What are some of the equipping do you think you need to run with horses?
Reflection #4 A People Apart (Jeremiah 35:14)
Notes
Eugene Peterson, Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at its Best (Downers Grove IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983 p. 142) notes,
The essence of Jeremiah’s message is this; “You also have a father who has commanded you to live in total relationship to him. You know that he has set you apart to a live of love. Why don’t you live in response to it? If you think it is because ordinary, mortal human beings can’t do it, think again. The Recabites are ordinary, mortal human beings and they have been doing it for 250 years. You also have a way of life that requires a certain disciplines to maintain its character. The disciplines involve you in making specific decisions about the way you live: regular worship, faithful prayer, tithing and caring for the poor, moral conduct and the pursuit of righteousness. Now, why don’t you do it? If you think that it is too rigorous a life for ordinary mortal human beings, think again. The Recabites are ordinary mortal humans, and they have been doing it for 250 year.
Reflection, Sharing and Review
1. How far am I going with Jesus today?
2. How am I coming to know him better?
3. In what ways is he leading and challenging me?
4. How did he deepen my understanding of faithfulness and discipleship?
5. Why did I feel inadequate or afraid?
6. How am I closer to Jesus?
7. What is he asking of me?
