Isabel Ong has recently joined Christianity Today’s Global Team. She lives in Richmond.
Just before Covid hit, in late 2019, I took part in the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Our table host was a young woman, Morgan Lee, who had been sent out by Christianity Today to meet delegates from around the world as the magazine aimed to increase its international coverage.
Lee – now Global Media Manager for CT – and an increasing team have done exactly that. Anyone who has followed CT over the years will have noticed how much more attention they are paying to global issues and evangelicals worldwide. And many of those writing those stories either live in, or have lived in, the nations they are covering.
A very current example of this coverage is the November 30 story, ‘Amid China’s rare protests, Christians wrestle with their role,’ by Amanda Lu Fulton (CT Southeast Asia Editor) and Sean Cheng (CT Asia Editor).
And so it was good to hear from Lee, recently, that one member of the CT Global Team lives in Metro Vancouver.
Isabel Ong (CT Asia Associate Editor) was hired just this summer, following completion of an MA in Christian Studies at Regent College. Originally from Singapore, she came here with her husband Victor Chua (now a pastor at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Richmond).
I had the pleasure of meeting with Isabel last week, and she told me about the CT team and some of her writing assignments, including:
- Indonesian Churches Organize to Aid Earthquake Survivors
- First Study of Chinese Churches in Britain Examines Boom and Possible Bust
- In Singapore, LGBT Perspectives are Liberalizing. Can the Church Hold Together?
One very timely project is the The Promised One, a Christianity Today 2022 Advent devotional. Isabel helped to create the simplified and traditional Chinese translations, which are available online. (Three entries in the devotional are written by local recording artist, author and director of education for Renovaré, Carolyn Arends.)
The Messiah
Opera singer Karen Ydenberg joins John Voth and Peter Carlone in The Messiah. Javier R. Sotres Photography
Pacific Theatre will be performing The Messiah by Patrick Barlow until December 17. Local travel writer John Lee has written about The Messiah on his annual Vancouver Christmas Guide:
Picture the Nativity story and you’ll conjure up a large cast of key characters and familiar scenes essential to the Greatest Story Ever Told.
Then head to The Messiah at Vancouver’s lovely little Pacific Theatre this holiday season and you’ll find a cast of three (including an opera singer) presenting the epic tale in its entirety – with a full serving of sparkling laughs along the way.
“The Coles Notes version of our play is that two incompetent actors and one hugely talented opera singer arrive by donkey and try to stage a version of The Messiah – and the audience gets to watch as the silliness and more unfolds,” says director Ian Farthing.
The witty, fast-paced show was written in 1983 for madcap British performance troupe, the National Theatre of Brent. And it was later revived to great acclaim for a UK tour in 2018. This new Pacific Theatre version draws on both these productions, adding a tasty serving of local references to appeal to Vancouver-area audiences. . . .
And like every good comedy, there’s also a warm and soulful heart beating beneath the laughs. Fusing its farcical fun with the beauty of the Nativity story itself, Farthing says The Messiah aims to encourage reflection as well. “I’m hoping people will hear the message of hope,” he says. “We want audiences to feel entertained and moved and to leave the theatre with a smile.”
Go here for the full article.
Both matinees and evening performances are available, along with mask-only productions on Wednesdays and a December 2 Talkback Night with cast and crew.
House of Daughters
Simon Choa-Johnston holding a copy of his brand new House of Daughters. Randy Murray photo
In 2016, Surrey author Simon Choa-Johnston wrote House of Wives. Early in December, a ‘stand-alone sequel’ – House of Daughters – will follow. Both books are set in Hong Kong, where he was born.
Randy Murray, Diocesan Communication Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster interviewed him in mid-November. Following are some excerpts from that conversation:
In that March 2016 interview, I asked you what you wanted people to take with them after they had read the book and you replied, “I had this written on a sheet of paper and stuck to the wall above my computer screen: “Two women compete for the affections of their opium-merchant husband in a tale of friendship, fortune and rivalry in colonial Hong Kong.” Did you pin a sheet of paper on the wall this time?
Yes, this is what it says: “In the 1920s and dirty thirties, a wealthy Jewish-Chinese Matriarch, her daughter and granddaughter confront class, culture and the legacy of a deadly curse.” . . .
The story is set in Hong Kong in the 1920s and 30s. To set the story in the applicable period and place and to avoid anachronism did you find you had to do a lot of research? Did you have help with this part of the project?
The houses described in the book are no longer standing but they exist in my relatives’ memories. I kept many notebooks as I was growing up and referred to them frequently. Also, newspaper accounts in the periodicals section of the HK Library and city archives opened a window into the period. A dear family friend also supplied me with a treasure trove of old photos dating back to the 1920s and 30s along with tantalizing handwritten diaries describing people and incidents. With gratitude, I based much of my story on those sources. . . .
What’s next for Simon Choa-Johnston the artist?
I’m working on the second half of House of Mine. Set in 1967, the novel will be the final installment of the ‘House of . . .’ trilogy. It will be a fictionalized novel about my experiences as a boy living in Hong Kong during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Go here for the full interview. There will be a book launch in the Surrey / White Rock area in late January. Go here to purchase House of Daughters.
Simon and his wife Sheila attend Church of the Holy Trinity (Anglican) in White Rock.
Dec 2022
Courage Now – December 1, 2022 - December 4, 2022 at All DayEFC Advent Prayer for MAiD – December 1, 2022 at 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Lament and Hope: The Vital Role of Creation Care in 21st Century Discipleship – December 1, 2022 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
'Sacred Cyberspaces: Catholicism, New Media, and the Religious Experience' – CSSR Webinar – December 1, 2022 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The 2022 Mission Possible Gala – December 1, 2022 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
2022 Mission Central Fundraiser – December 1, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sanctuary's Christmas Gala: Good for the Soul (Sole) – December 1, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sing a New Noel (three shows) – December 2, 2022 - December 3, 2022 at All Day
The First Christmas Experience – December 2, 2022 - December 4, 2022 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hark! Hear the Bells – December 2, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Christmas Bazaar at St. Thomas', Vancouver – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Fair Trade Fair – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
St. Alban's Christmas Craft Fair – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
St. George's ACW Christmas Bazaar and Lunch – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
St. Philip's Christmas Fair – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
St. Stephen's Christmas Market – December 3, 2022 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Christmas Fair 2022 – December 3, 2022 at 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Christmas Carnival – December 3, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
A Coastal Christmas: Peace & Goodwill – December 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Adveniat: Live Concert – December 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Christmas Art Exhibit Opening Night – December 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Vivaldi Chamber Choir – Noël: noir et blanc – December 3, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
EDUPAVI Craft Fair – December 4, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Christmas at the Chan – December 4, 2022 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Christmas Concert – December 4, 2022 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir presents Holly Jolly Christmas with Winter Harp – December 4, 2022 at 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
VOS 2022 Christmas Concert: Sing Joy to All the World – December 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Spiritual Authority Cohorts (monthly, Monday evenings) – December 5, 2022 at 6:45 pm - 9:15 pm
Hope in the City Breakfast – December 7, 2022 at 7:30 am - 9:30 am
Christmas Artisan Fair – December 7, 2022 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Conversations on Vaccination and Protecting our Community’s Health – December 7, 2022 at 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: Conrad Good & Friends – December 7, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Dream Centre Society: The Christmas Project – December 8, 2022 - December 12, 2022 at All Day
SIMinar: The Importance of Prayer in Missions – December 8, 2022 at 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
BEZ Open Mic, with Russ Rosen – December 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Singing Christmas Tree: Once Upon a Manger – December 9, 2022 - December 11, 2022 at All Day
The First Christmas Experience – December 9, 2022 - December 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Treasures: Rediscover the Gift of Christmas – December 9, 2022 - December 11, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Amabilis Singers: Voces Angelorum – December 9, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Blues Hoodoo – December 9, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Advent Vigil for the Silenced – December 10, 2022 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
English Conversation Group for Ukrainian Women – December 10, 2022 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Amabilis Singers: Voces Angelorum – December 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Carols and Bells: A Concert – December 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Outdoor Christmas Market – December 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Winter's Night – December 10, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Belle Voci: Messiah in the Valley – December 10, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Laudate Singers: Family Christmas – December 11, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Chantez Noël: The Chamber Choir of Pacific Spirit United Church Choir – December 11, 2022 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Jazz Vespers in the Valley with Simon Millerd and friends – December 11, 2022 at 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Laudate Singers Free Christmas Concert – December 11, 2022 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Laudate Singers: Family Christmas – December 11, 2022 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Blue Christmas – December 11, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Abendmusik Vesper Choir: Advent 2022 Vespers – December 11, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Belle Voci: Messiah in the Valley – December 11, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Christmas Open House – December 14, 2022 at 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: We Three Queens – December 14, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
CityReach: Boxes of Love – December 15, 2022 - December 17, 2022 at All Day
Used Book Sale – December 15, 2022 - December 23, 2022 at 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Community Christmas Dinner – December 15, 2022 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Winter Harp – December 15, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:45 pm
The Messiah – December 15, 2022 - December 17, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Christmas With Chor Leoni (six shows) – December 16, 2022 - December 19, 2022 at All Day
Carols in the City – December 16, 2022 at 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
CLF Vancouver Christmas Banquet – December 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Vancouver Chamber Choir: Christmas by Candlelight – December 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Home for the Holidays – December 16, 2022 - December 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Vancouver Chamber Choir: Christmas by Candlelight – December 16, 2022 at 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Dundarave Festival of Lights (Saturday concerts) – December 17, 2022 at All Day
Light the Way Christmas Concert (three events) – December 17, 2022 - December 18, 2022 at All Day
Christmas Reprise XIX at Holy Rosary Cathedral – December 17, 2022 at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Jubilate Vocal Ensemble: A Festive Offering – December 17, 2022 at 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Good Tidings! A Good Noise Gospel Christmas – December 17, 2022 at 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
North Shore Community Christmas Dinner (volunteer opportunities) – December 17, 2022 at 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Brian Doerksen presents 'The Heart of Christmas' – December 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Christmas Reprise XIX at Queens Avenue United Church – December 17, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Festive Cantatas: J.B. Bach Magnificat – December 17, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Good Tidings! A Good Noise Gospel Christmas – December 17, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Festive Cantatas: J.B. Bach Magnificat – December 18, 2022 at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Brian Doerksen presents 'The Heart of Christmas' – December 18, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Christmas Tales – December 20, 2022 - December 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Christmas Presence – December 20, 2022 - December 22, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Blue Christmas Service – December 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Longest Night of the Year – December 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Premiere Screening of Story Guild Documentary Film, The Great Power, with Christmas After Party – December 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Winter Harp – December 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: Ilhan Saferali & Friends do Charlie Brown's Christmas – December 21, 2022 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Christmas in Versailles – December 23, 2022 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – December 24, 2022 at 7:00 am - 8:00 am
Christmas Day Service – December 25, 2022 at 10:00 am - 11:00 am
60th Canada Chinese Christian Winter Conference – December 27, 2022 - December 31, 2022 at All Day
Worship Invasion New Years Eve Praise Party! – December 31, 2022 at 9:00 pm - 11:45 pm