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The Architect’s Anxiety: Between Robert Frost’s Design and the Tower of Babel
Explore Robert Frost’s “witches’ broth” of predation through a modern lens. Is the universe a “design of darkness,” or are our ideological boxes simply too small to grasp its complexity? From the Enlightenment’s “Tower of Babel” to the restorative peace of Isaiah, discover how we move from the arrogance of the architect to the awe of the observer.
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Paul | leadership | Neuroscience | Science | sociology
The Missing Apostle: Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Pauline Leadership
Does modern leadership theory misread Paul? Explore the 3 critical knowledge gaps, from ‘Portable Presence’ to the neurobiology of the ‘Neural Handshake’.
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From Goosebumps to Grace: The Power of Brahms’ Piano Masterpiece
Brahms’ Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2, is a quiet masterpiece of late‑life introspection, a work where tenderness, longing, and spiritual ambiguity converge. Blending personal reflection, musical insight, and the science of aesthetic “chills,” this essay explores how Brahms transforms private grief into a universal language of solace.
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Theology | Beethoven | Music | Neuroscience | Science
The Resurrected Voice: How Beethoven’s Op. 110 Maps the Brain to the Soul
Neurophysiological and theological depths of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 31. A musical ‘anastasis,’ bridging Catholic Enlightenment piety and modern brain science.
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Crossing the Bar: Finding the Pilot in the Storm
“What does it mean to live in the ‘in-between’ time, where the world is broken but the New Creation has already begun? Drawing on the imagery of the Barong Tagalog and the theology of the Cornerstone, this post examines God’s promise to restore what is lost and calls us to weave Shalom into our neighbourhoods today.”
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church | leadership | Paul | Science | sociology
Beyond the Letter: Paul’s Narratives as Social Technology
“What does it mean to live in the ‘in-between’ time, where the world is broken but the New Creation has already begun? Drawing on the imagery of the Barong Tagalog and the theology of the Cornerstone, this post examines God’s promise to restore what is lost and calls us to weave Shalom into our neighbourhoods today.”
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“Keep Practicing”: Lessons from a Legend
What can a piano teacher teach us about the ‘technology of presence’? Using the 1993 performance of Manuel Infante’s ‘Ritmo’ as a case study, Victor Gavino explores how legacy functions as leadership. Discover how a mentor’s influence becomes a ‘portable presence’ that continues to shape reality long after they have left the stage.
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church | leadership | ministry | Science | sociology
The “Shelf-Life” of Leadership: Why Modern Models Fail Paul
Why does the Apostle Paul’s leadership still resonate 2,000 years after his death while modern corporate models often expire the moment a leader leaves the room? Victor Gavino challenges the limitations of Transformational and Servant leadership frameworks, proposing instead that Paul’s letters function as a ‘technology of presence’—a narrative vehicle that continues to build worlds long after the author is gone.
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The Anchor of Faith: From Habakkuk to Luther
“Haunted by a world of chaos, the prophet Habakkuk asked: ‘Where is God?’ Discover the profound breakthrough that transformed Martin Luther’s despair into hope and explore the three divine answers that provide an anchor in the modern storm.”
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The Primal Architecture of Leadership: From Darwinian Drives to Pauline Communities
“Leadership is not a modern corporate invention, but a stable evolutionary phenomenon. By mapping the Apostle Paul’s missionary behavior onto four Darwinian drives, we uncover the primal architecture of influence.”
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The Numerical Reality of Church Decline in Canada: A 2021 Census Analysis
The 2021 Census confirms a definitive tipping point: weekly church attendance in Canada has plummeted from 65% to less than 9%. As the “Pastor-as-Manager” model fails, how can the local church transition to a “Narrative Presence”? This post analyzes the data of decline and introduces a new series on the theory of Narrative Leadership.
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From Typhoons to Transformation: Finding Hope in a Factured World
“What does it mean to live in the ‘in-between’ time, where the world is broken but the New Creation has already begun? Drawing on the imagery of the Barong Tagalog and the theology of the Cornerstone, this post examines God’s promise to restore what is lost and calls us to weave Shalom into our neighbourhoods today.”
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Why God? Why, God? The Journey from Despair to Advent Joy
Life is hard-wired for transcendence, always reaching for an echo of Eden. In this final sermon at Central Presbyterian, the language of music—specifically Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31—becomes a vessel for the Gospel. It is a journey through gasping laments and mysterious chords toward a strength seasoned by suffering and a hope that death never has the last word.
Retirement is also a beginning
On to the golden years
