Vol 119 No 4 • APR 2017
inside
this issue...
ISSN 0129-6868 MCI (P) 117/11/2016
Story and worship A treasure for our gatherings
MCS focus: 20 years of enhancing worship
pages 10-11
pages 12-13
message.methodist.org.sg
Connecting the dots Easter and the three meals pages 19-21
ALDERSGATE SG 2017
Recalling the past, and a prayer for the future
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hich has been your most memorable Aldersgate celebration in Singapore? Was it the first time the Singaporean Methodist community came together to commemorate the “strangelywarmed” experience of Methodism’s founder John Wesley, in 2002? Or in 2003, when Aldersgate celebrations had to be downsized due to the SARS epidemic in the region? Do you recall the iconic lectures by the Rev Dr David Wilkinson on ‘Science and Christian Faith’ in 2007, or the Hymn Festival marking the 300th birthday of Charles Wesley, held at Victoria Concert Hall? What about the milestone MCS 125 celebrations held in 2010, with the highest turnout ever recorded for the Aldersgate Service? These are just some of the ups and downs experienced in the 15 years since that first Aldersgate celebration in 2002. This year, the Aldersgate celebrations return to Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC) where the events were first held, giving us a rare opportunity to re-live these moments and more, at a special exhibition of memorabilia that will be put up at the ground-floor area. Among our regional neighbours, Singapore’s Aldersgate commemorative events are unique: We incorporate the element of celebration, with a worship service in addition to lectures and seminars. This year, the Aldersgate Service and Worship Festival have been combined to form the Aldersgate Sunday Celebration on 21 May, where the diverse gifts of various people groups will come together in united offering before our Lord – a foretaste of Heaven. A new feature will also be incorporated in the Sunday Celebration: An Aldersgate Prayer of Commitment, giving attendees the opportunity to re-commit their lives to God’s
service in solidarity with more than 43,000 brothers and sisters in the Methodist family, of which 1,200 are expected at the Celebration. A mystery gift has been planned for distribution at the Celebration, to be a visual reminder for attendees of their commitment to the Lord, and to continue praying for the Methodist Church and its ministries. Curious about what the first-ever Aldersgate poster looked like? Want to re-live Aldersgate celebrations over the years? Eager to catch a multi-cultural glimpse of Heaven? Passionate to renew your commitment to God? Longing to stand in solidarity with Methodist brothers and sisters? Wondering what the mystery gift might be? Then come, join us to ‘Catch the Flame’ at Aldersgate SG 2017, 21-24 May at PLMC, as we grow together in ‘The Wesleyan Pursuit of Holiness’!
ALD RSGATEsg 2017
21 May Aldersgate Sunday Celebration ‘The Joy of Holiness’ 23 May Aldersgate Lecture 1 ‘The Face of Holiness’ 24 May Aldersgate Lecture 2 ‘The Power for Holiness’ Visit aldersgate.methodist.org.sg for more info, and book your places now! n
Picture by jhandersen/Bigstock.com • Background picture by silver-john/Bigstock.com
COMING UP
Celebrating MSM 20: Our hope for years to come Judith Mosomos is Director of Worship and Church Music at the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
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he Methodist School of Music (MSM) invites you to share in the joy of its 20th anniversary, at a Thanksgiving Service themed “Our Hope for Years to Come”. It will be held on 29 April 2017 at 4 p.m., at the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church TA 2 Sanctuary (61 Wishart Road). There is much to thank God for, and to look forward to in hope. For the past two decades, God’s faithfulness has been evident through the generosity of donors who helped MSM develop programmes for various purposes. The Ministry Scholarship programme, for example, helps less privileged children with their music education, while the biennial Worship Symposium provides a platform for worship ministry teams (both local and overseas) to renew their understanding of worship. The Asian Composers Forum (2011-2013) gathered composers from the region to discuss stewardship and the significance of Asian expressions in worship, and led to the publishing of Let the Asian Church Rejoice (2015), a collection of Asian hymns for local congregations. These have helped the MSM realise its vision of promoting excellence in music education, and enhanced the quality of worship not just through music but also through fostering continual discussion in the essentials of worship. In 2013, the Methodist Festival Choir (MFC) was formed to foster and promote good choral music and congregational singing. Seventy
choristers were selected through auditions, representing 20 Methodist churches, one Presbyterian church, and one Anglican church. Amongst them are seven church choir conductors. Today, the MFC doubles as a platform for choir conductors to learn about rehearsal techniques, share resources and enjoy musicmaking with other choristers. The MFC has also blessed the Methodist community with worship events that explore themes of the Church year presented in various liturgical and worship expressions. Next in the pipeline is the development of the Methodist Festival Orchestra, which the MSM hopes will receive the same support and enthusiasm from the Methodist family. The MSM Thanksgiving Service will feature the MFC, a brass quartet, and performances by MSM students and teachers. This worship event will allow one to experience the structure of worship, the function of the choir, and the leadership of the instruments played; it will also showcase the value of the congregation’s participation. We pray that these will translate into a meaningful worship experience for all attendees and be acceptable and pleasing to God. Come join us in giving thanks to Him, and expressing our hope in Him! n
MSM 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service 29 April 2017 (Saturday), 4 p.m. Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church (TA 2 Sanctuary), 61 Wishart Road Free admission. For more info, email msm@msmusic.edu.sg
Image courtesy of the Methodist School of Music Background picture by titoOnz/Bigstockcom
Methodist Message wishes all readers a blessed Easter. “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!” The official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Published material does not necessarily reflect the official view of The Methodist Church. All Scripture quoted is based on the English Standard Version, unless otherwise stated. Our address Design & Production SNAP! Creative Pte Ltd Printer A&D Printhub Pte Ltd
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BISHOP’S MESSAGE
Meeting God through worship Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung was elected Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore in 2016. He served as President of the Chinese Annual Conference for two quadrennia from 2008 to 2016.
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he late Robert E. Webber, a theologian known for his work on worship, referred to worship as “God meeting His people” in his book Worship Old and New. Clearly, it stands to reason that man must also be willing to meet God for this to happen. Several passages in the Old Testament describe such meetings between God and man, such as in Genesis 28:10-19 when God appeared in Jacob’s dream; Exodus 19:16-20 when God met with Moses at Mount Sinai; and Exodus 24:1 where God met once again with Moses and the other Jewish leaders. In the New Testament, John chapter four recounted the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman; and in Acts chapter two, God meets His people through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Psalms in the Bible also contain prayers of God’s people in worship and the themes are varied and rich, comprising of praise and adoration, supplication, recitation, and thanksgiving. These very verses are often used in worship services today as praise and as a call to worship. Many of the psalms praise the Lord for His salvation and His mighty works, reminding the Israelites of their forefathers’ exodus from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and Jordan River, and finally entering the Promised Land. However, John Wesley cautioned that not all psalms are appropriate for use during worship especially the imprecatory psalms, which invoke calamity or judgment against one’s enemies.
“Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Exodus 24:3-8 (NIV)
Perhaps you may not be aware that liturgies of the Holy Communion are a recount by believers of the salvation story, the full gospel from God’s creation to the new heaven and earth. It is not unlike Moses reminding the Israelites of the great works God did for them, to which they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3-8, NIV) They recommitted themselves to God and confirmed their covenant with the Lord. Even though we do not share the same experiences of the Israelites escaping from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea and Jordan River, we have been set free from the dominion of sin, having been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, born again through baptism and justified to enter the kingdom of God. Being in Christ, we experience with Him death, burial and resurrection. This is the great and mighty work of the Lord, which the liturgies of the Holy Communion continually engrave in our hearts lest we forget. For this reason, the Holy Communion is not to be regarded lightly and performed perfunctorily. The sacraments are not a panacea for peace and healing to be brought home and shared with family members. However, “extended Communion” can be provided for believers who are hospitalised or home-bound due to illness and are unable to attend worship service in church. The Holy Communion liturgies must be accorded due regard and not to be dispensed with arbitrarily. This is underscored by John Wesley’s strict stipulation that only ordained clergy are allowed to preside over the serving of Communion. I was therefore surprised to find preachers who were not ordained performing this task and leading the liturgy reading in some of the Holy Communion services I attended. It is helpful for routine matters and procedures to be reviewed periodically, to remember what was instituted and to gain new knowledge. In the same vein, believers’ regular attendance of Sunday worship services is a constant revisiting of our roots and renewing of understanding. May this continue until we join the heavenly ranks in worshipping and praising the Lord forever and ever. n
Background picture by KAZITAFAHNIZEER/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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CHURCH PROFILE
Changi MC:
Small church, big dreams The Rev Edmund Koh is Pastor-in-Charge of Changi Methodist Church.
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hangi Methodist Church (CMC) was established as a local conference in 1979 with about 50 members at Kampong Chai Chee led by the late Rev Lee Chin Ming. Its pioneers were a passionate team of youths from Geylang Chinese Methodist Church. CMC started with just one worship service conducted in Hokkien with an English Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). The English MYF later developed into a full English worship service. Over the years, the congregation size has waxed and waned, hovering between 80 and 100. Currently, CMC has about 80 members. The church’s vision in the recent few years is to plant a preaching point in Punggol. This came about after concerted prayer among the leaders and the Rev Jasper Sim, who was then the Pastorin-Charge. The miraculous way in which doors
Changi Methodist Church Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church (Worship Location) 299 Upper Paya Lebar Road, S(534932) Sunday Services: 3 p.m. English Contact us: Office: 9182-9175 Email: changimc1@gmail.com
The Boys’ Brigade (BB) and Girls’ Brigade (GB) enrolment and dedication service, an annual event for CMC. The members are students from Greendale Primary School.
began to open for CMC in a school in Punggol seemed a confirmation of God’s will. We are currently working towards growing the congregation size to at least 150 disciples of Jesus Christ. One key ministry to highlight in Punggol is our support of Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade (BB and GB) companies in Greendale Primary School. At a time when we hear of BB and GB companies closing down due to decreasing enrolment, our BB and GB companies are actually growing in numbers. Through BB and GB, we are able to reach out to and befriend the families of our boys and girls. Another important area for growth is our cell group ministry. We have three adult and two youth cell groups and we meet three times a month on Fridays. Besides that, CMC has also partnered with the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) to set up FamilyWorks Community Services (FWCS), a centre serving Punggol families. One of the flagship programmes which FWCS runs is the Rainbows programme designed to help children from single-parent families (refer to P7 of MM Feb 2017). CMC does not currently have a permanent place of its own. At present, we worship at Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church at 3 p.m. on Sundays. We have also recently rented a bungalow in Punggol to be used as a Family Life Centre. We gather there for celebration fellowship every 4th Sunday. It serves as an important focal point for our Punggol ministry. While this lack of a permanent place has contributed to the challenge of growing the church, it has also built a bunch of resilient worshippers
with a ‘never-say-die’ attitude. The community is small but strong and truly imbued with the gotong royong (mutual aid) spirit. Since I joined the church in 2015, it has been a joy to see everyone from young to old chipping in to help at events. We are not the biggest, richest, or most talented church in the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC). In fact, we are the smallest church! Yet God has led us to reach out to one of the biggest residential towns – Punggol. We are thankful for the conference’s recognition and support for our ministry. A few CAC churches have been instrumental in supporting our ministry and we look forward to more collaborations with other churches. CMC will turn 40 in two years’ time. Forty is a significant number biblically. I believe God will bring about significant changes in CMC in line with His will and purpose when that time comes. Meanwhile we labour on as faithfully as we can by God’s grace. n
We continue our series of profiling local churches from our three Annual Conferences of The Methodist Church in Singapore. As we come to have a better understanding of each other’s history and ministry, we may discover more opportunities to forge cross-church partnerships and collaborations. Photos courtesy of Changi Methodist Church
SAYS THE CAC PRESIDENT
Worshipping God alone The Rev Dr Gregory Goh was elected President of the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) in 2016 for the quadrennium. He joined the CAC in 1992 and has since served for 24 years. He is married to Irene Lim, a full-time teacher, and they have two daughters and a son.
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henever we come forward to worship, what do we think of? We probably think of many things - the piano, organ, drums, guitars - and many other activities like singing, prayers, sermon, offering etc. Thus, our mind is very often preoccupied in performing and assessing these, and hopefully along the way we get a good sermon that will satisfy our hungry souls. When all is said and done, if we have planned and executed all the necessary activities well and have had a good sermon, does this mean that I had a good worship session and I am worshipping God? Worship is about God alone. Nothing on this earth and in this universe is worthy of our worship, except for God. However, humans are prone to creating idols for worship, and we can see this from the Old and New Testament accounts. From the beginning, God has guided us away from this destructive path through the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:3-4, NIV) Worship is God-centered. There should be no other gods in our lives. As we bow down and worship Him every week, we should examine ourselves about who the real ‘God’ in our life is, and whether God alone is our subject of worship. I think the greatest idol mankind has created for himself is ‘himself ’. Thomas Merton in his book, Water of Siloe, wrote: “None of us is what he thinks he is, or what other people think he is, still less what his passport says he is. Many of us think, no doubt, that we are what we would like to be. And it is fortunate
for most of us that we are mistaken. We do not generally know what is good for us. That is because, in St. Bernard's language, our true personality has been concealed under the ‘disguise’ of a false self, the ego whom we tend to worship in place of God.” A true worshipper will see himself more clearly, and one day will worship God with his true self. When the Samaritan woman at the well asked about places of worship, Jesus replied: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24, NIV) “And the truth will set [us] free.” (John 8:32) n
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 (NIV)
Picture by LiviuPaz/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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YOU & YOUR FAMILY
What type of listener are you? Benny Bong has been a family and marital therapist for more than 30 years, and is a certified work-life consultant. He was the first recipient of the AWARE Hero Award in 2011 and is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
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he irate husband looked in disbelief at his wife and said with a hint of frustration: “We had to come for counselling to say this?” He was responding to what he had just heard from his wife, wondering why she could not have told it to him earlier in private. After all, their relationship was in reasonable health at that time and they regarded each other as their best friend. His bewilderment is echoed by a few couples I have seen, and has left me musing over why this is so. With this couple, the wife replied that she had only just realised what she had been grappling with. As she was able to talk freely and without fear in a controlled setting, the issues that were bothering her began to reveal themselves. Being in the role of a Marital and Family Counsellor, I get a lot of opportunities to listen – an activity that might appear passive, but is actually a demanding role that requires concentration, restraint, and at strategic points, a piercing question or two. Often I get an up-close-and-personal vantage point to some of the most intimate disagreements my clients would raise. One involved a couple arguing over the state of their sexual intimacy. The husband complained about how his wife was unresponsive and that she would lie there passively and would even look away, making herself as distant as possible from him. The truth of the matter was that she was unhappy with him over a number of issues and was thus ‘seldom in the mood’. However, to fulfil her wifely duties, she submitted herself to meeting his sexual needs. It is in times like these that I feel awkward. I sometimes question why I am party to such personal conversations. It is almost like being in their very bedroom. I also wonder how to respond to all that is being said. I must add that in the lead-up to this very personal conversation, each partner had said individually that this was an area they were unhappy with but did not know how to raise the issue. Thus I functioned as a facilitator of this very needful discourse. All I needed to do was to gently open the door and allow the estranged couple room to speak.
At other times, I felt like I had a ringside seat to a boxing match. The things uttered came fast and furious. Both parties would trade accusations and blame the same way that boxers would trade blows. Tempers often came to a boiling point. Like a referee, I had to ensure that the fight was fair and the rules observed. Yes, there are rules even for fights at home. Unlike a referee, if you keep your wits about you, you may even see points of agreement and find a way to end the fight amicably. In most situations, if one listened carefully, one would find more points of agreement than disagreement. When the discord was not about fundamentals and the common points were highlighted, the couple may begin to see a way forward. Finally, there have been situations when my clients turn to me in exasperation and despair and say, “Is this the best you can offer?” It is then that my self-esteem drops to the floor with a clang! For those of us who try to be Helpers, our existence is validated when we are able to help. Just like a doctor who loses a patient despite their best efforts, the feeling is never good. In such instances, I try to remind myself that we cannot offer a solution nor salvage every situation. I try to console myself that even in the midst of such hopelessness, being able to have a supportive listener somehow lets the client know that he or she is not alone. This type of listening is akin to being by the side of a friend who has suffered the loss of a loved one. Words would fail, yet our presence and solemn silence speak volumes. We are there to witness the pain and loss. We are there so that the grieving find strength and reasons to go on. None of these ways of listening are the sole domain of the Professional Helper. Each one of us is capable to offer this listening ear. In fact, when family and close friends listen, they offer something more. This is the genuine acceptance, compassion and support of a loved one that is priceless. n
Picture by szefei/Bigstock.com
WELFARE SERVICES
Fuzzy therapy that works By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team
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very second Saturday of the month, the residents of the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) Bethany Methodist Nursing Home (BMNH) eagerly await the arrival of visitors of the furry kind. They are the friendly canines from Therapy Dogs Singapore (TDS), a non-profit voluntary welfare group which has been making monthly visits since 2007. The therapy provided through this ‘Animal Assisted Activity’ can enhance a recipient’s physical and socio-emotional well-being. The same activities can be repeated with many people in various settings or institutions, says Mr Augustine Chai, Vice-President of TDS and our nursing home volunteer for more than three years. For a whole hour in the afternoon, residents get to interact with the dogs in the nursing home’s function hall. Led and assisted by the dog owners, residents get to feed treats to the pets, play with them, watch them perform tricks, and cuddle with them. Small dogs may be put onto the laps of patients to be stroked, while larger dogs are trained to ‘feet up’ onto patients to be patted. All the dogs have gone through temperament assessment conducted by TDS to ensure that they show no signs of aggression when meeting new people and dogs in unfamiliar environments. Every session usually involves 15 to 20 residents, and around 10 to 15 TDS volunteers with some eight to 10 of their pets. During festive occasions, such as Chinese New Year and Christmas, the visiting group tends to be larger. The volunteers will dress the dogs up, plan more activities such as simple performances and games, and distribute goodie bags. Ms Kara Mok, Community Partnership Executive at MWS BMNH, said: “The residents really look forward to this monthly event, as it’s quite a change from their daily routine. It’s always such a fun and joyous session that is enjoyed by our residents, as well as the staff. Everyone always leaves with a smile.” Kara adds: “As most of our residents have mobility issues and can’t move around easily, the dog therapy sessions give them an opportunity to use their sense of touch. The interaction also calms and comforts them. Some who were initially intimidated by the dogs grew to love them.” Resident Jennifer Gomez agrees: “The dogs are very cute and gentle. I enjoy spending time with them, and look forward to every session.” Beyond dog therapy, the residents also form lasting friendships with the pet owners. According to Kara, some of them have come to know one another very well over the past few years. Augustine shared: “I find that the residents recognise our dogs easily, sometimes even before they recognise us. There are a couple of residents who
are familiar with us, and we chat about topics ranging from cooking to fantasy stories.” Another TDS volunteer is Ms Kit Heeremans (pictured bottom left), a Dutch national and Singapore resident. Kit has been the group’s main co-ordinator for BMNH in the past year. Until she started volunteering in 2015 with her two Labradors Mowgli and Baloo, she did not realise how much the therapy would benefit all the parties involved. “Sometimes no words are spoken – a smile or a friendly pat on the arm can make a positive impact as well. This experience has made me aware of the residents’ situations, which are often very difficult. It has also taught me that not speaking each other’s language does not make communication impossible; that the love of animals can bring comfort during tough times; and that dogs are indeed man’s best friend,” Kit explained. Kit added that her pets also enjoy the monthly visits. “They love being with the other dogs, and they love all the attention that they get from the patients, not to mention the cookies that they are offered for doing tricks. When I prepare them for the visit and bring out their blue Therapy Dog bandanas, they get excited and start wagging their tails. They burn lots of positive energy during each visit, and get so exhausted that they sleep for hours afterwards.” MWS salutes our volunteer dogs and their owners for their service! n At MWS BMNH, 80 per cent of the 271 residents are over 60 years old. Almost three-quarters of them require maximum nursing care and are totally dependent on the staff to help them perform daily living activities, such as eating, using the toilet, showering and even moving around. In fact, two out of three residents are wheelchair-bound. Most of them are also destitute, come from low-income families, and have no alternative home care arrangements. To volunteer at MWS BMNH, please contact Ms Kara Mok at karamok@mws.sg. Due to increasing demand for elderly care services, we are launching a second nursing home in Yew Tee this August. Volunteer help is greatly appreciated. To find out more about volunteering opportunities at MWS, please visit the MWS website at www.mws.sg/volunteer, speak to the MWS Ambassador at your church, or email us at volunteer@mws.sg. To donate, please log on to give.mws.sg. Photos courtesy of the Methodist Welfare Services METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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SOUNDINGS
Welcoming worship Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor for the ETHOS Institute™ for Public Christianity (http://ethosinstitute.sg/).
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ne of the simplest but most profound definitions of Christian worship comes from the pen of the influential Russian Orthodox theologian, Georges Vasilievich Florovsky (1893-1979). “Christian worship,” he wrote, “is the response of men to the Divine call, to the mighty deeds of God, culminating in the redemptive act of Christ.” While worship is “primarily and essentially an act of praise and adoration,” Florovsky explains, it is also “a thankful acknowledgement of God’s embracing Love and redemptive loving-kindness”. Most significantly, the Russian theologian emphasises that because “Christian existence is essentially corporate”, Christian worship must needs be a communal activity. This implies that every member of the community of faith must be allowed to participate in the act of praise and adoration that Christians call worship, including people with disabilities. But as Nancy Eiseland has so starkly pointed out in her book, The Disabled God, the Church’s attitude and response towards the disabled has been ambiguous at best. The Church has often “treated people with disabilities as objects of pity and paternalism”. “For many disabled persons the church has been a ‘city on a hill’ – physically inaccessible and socially inhospitable,” she wrote. If this observation is correct, then perhaps the Church has been subtly persuaded by the myth spun by secular society that the ideal human being is powerful and capable. As Jean Vanier puts it, “A society that honours only the powerful, the clever, and the winners necessarily belittles the weak. It is as if to say: to be human is to be powerful.”
Or perhaps the Church’s relationship with the disabled is ambiguous not because Christians belittle them, but rather because we fear them. We fear them because, as Stanley Hauerwas has perceptively pointed out, “they remind us that for all of our pretensions we are as helpless as they are when all is said and done”. Be that as it may, if the Church is truly the Body of Christ, it must accept as its members believers with disabilities, who, despite their physical or mental impairments, continue to be bearers of God’s image. The Church must welcome and embrace these “weaker members” and bestow upon them the “greater honour” that they deserve (1 Corinthians 12), by loving them and joyfully celebrating their contributions to its life and witness. The full acceptance of people with disabilities in the Christian community requires nothing less than a radical change in attitude. The Church’s welcome of disabled people, therefore, is seen not just in the installation of certain fixtures like ramps for wheelchairs, important though they are. Its welcome is made most evident in the space it creates for people with disabilities to fully participate in its worship and ministry. Welcoming the disabled does not require the church to design specialised worship services for them, for this could just be a disguised form of segregation. Rather, as Orthodox priest Stephen Plumlee argues, people with disabilities are truly welcomed when they are incorporated “fully in the liturgical activities of the community”. Able-bodied Christians should never underestimate the extent to which people with disabilities – especially mental disabilities – are able to participate in worship. We are simply unable to fathom how the mysterious operations of divine grace can bring disabled people into intimate communion with God.
“Soundings” is a series of essays that, like the waves of a sonogram, explore issues in society, culture and the church in light of the Gospel and Christian understanding.
But a church that truly welcomes and embraces people with disabilities must also be open to receiving ministry from them, for they too are given gifts with which to build up the Body of Christ. Most importantly, the presence of people with disabilities can in some ways be prophetic in the sense that it can expose every triumphalism, and every false sense of confidence. In the words of Hauerwas, their presence reminds us of “the insecurity hidden in our false sense of self-possession”. Taking a slightly different angle, the American National Conference of Catholic Bishops makes the same point thus in its thoughtful 1978 pastoral statement on the handicapped: “Handicapped people should be gratefully welcomed in the ecclesial community wherein we can benefit from the spiritual gifts, and the selfrealisation they share with the rest of us in the Christian community, namely, that ‘we all live in the shadow of the cross’. That shadow reminds us that we are all ‘marginal’ people and hence our need for mutual integration.” n An example close to home is how Wesley Methodist Church encourages families with children with special needs to attend and partake Communion together at their Sunday 5 p.m. Traditional Services, and also have hearing-impaired persons attend their Saturday 5 p.m. and Sunday 9.30 a.m. contemporary worship services. They have also formed an Inclusion Committee with the aim of further integrating persons with special needs in their worship services, small groups, and across the rest of the church.
Background picture by artitcom/Bigstock.com
MISSIONS
The rainbow connection – nurturing Laotian children Dr Eileen Aw is Chairperson of the School Board of The Singapore Mission School in Laos.
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welve years ago, it was a glorious rainbow that sealed God’s call to Lesley and Kok Liang Yeow to live and serve in Vientiane, Laos. In faith, they started a centre for teaching the English language to adults. Landlocked Laos is one of the world’s few remaining communist states and one of East Asia’s poorest nations. The Yeows soon discovered that good schools were needed in this developing country. Encouraged by like-minded Singaporean friends in Vientiane and back home, they started ‘play and learn’ English sessions for children aged three to five years in 2010. Four years later, these twohour sessions had grown to a full-day school. Registered as a foreign enterprise, The Singapore Mission School (SMS) eventually secured an education licence to teach kindergarten and Primarylevel students. To maintain this licence, the Laotian Ministry of Education indicated that additional classrooms and facilities would have to be constructed. SMS was funded entirely by donations from family and friends, it seemed unlikely that this requirement could be met. As an answer to prayer, the Lord brought SMS and the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) together in 2013 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in support of an educational ministry in Laos. Through this partnership, funds were raised that enabled the school extension to be built. The construction of a beautiful, three-storey building was completed in December 2016. On 23 Feb 2017, Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung of The Methodist Church in Singapore dedicated the SMS extension to the glory of God. MMS representatives, friends and supporters were present for this joyous event. The children drew jigsaw pieces (see inset) and shared their personal expressions of love and appreciation for the school. Later that evening, parents and government officials were invited to join an Open House celebration. The event was appropriately themed “The Rainbow Connection”, and the students enthralled the audience with songs, dances, and a performance based on the story of Noah’s Ark. n
Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung sharing his message at the Dedication Service.
Please pray for Methodist churches in Singapore to journey alongside SMS in providing quality education and Christian values for Laotian children. Qualified missionaries and volunteers are urgently needed to support the teaching and operational responsibilities of the school! Contact the Rev Teresa Wilborn at teresa.wilborn@gmail.com to find out more. Photos by Jason Chin METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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HOME
Story and worship Jeff Barker is the author of The Storytelling Church: Adventures in Reclaiming the Role of Story in Worship. He is also a professor at the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida.
“God does not present us with salvation in the form of an abstract truth, or a precise definition or a catchy slogan, but as story.”
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torytelling is a fundamental tool for Christian living. Half of the Bible is written in story form. Stories teach us how life works, draw us toward both sympathy and celebration, and help us remember. Stories, well-told, help us sense that we have glimpsed something greater than ourselves. from Eugene Peterson’s introduction Psalm 71:18 is a clue to the to the book of Exodus importance of storytelling: “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” (NIV) The person who affirms the prayer of Psalm 71 wants to tell the story of God’s work in their life. Does your church encourage this witnessing between generations? If so, this storytelling will happen over meals, in conversations over tea, and in small groups. But this witnessing must also happen in worship. Our most public gathering should model what we value. Do we remember what God has done in our lives? Do we celebrate God’s deeds in public ways? Does our worship planning make time and space for Psalm 71 to come true? Telling the story of God at work is one of the reasons we gather. This happens in several ways. The first of the ways is through the retelling of Bible stories. Our biblical storytelling is often so poor that many Christians think of the Bible as a book of ideas.
But the Bible is mostly a book of stories! Happenings, miracles, and sins and judgements — these come together to create the very best of stories. These stories should be heard, seen, and felt. We should tell, sing, dance, and show these stories with all our best creative energies. Worship is indeed truth-telling. The simple act of naming the name of Jesus brings balance and sanity to our human journey. But this alone is not enough. The declaration of a truth begs for an example. That example is a “for instance”, a deed, an event, an action, or a story. It does not suffice to simply proclaim: “Our God is omnipotent.” The power of God is cradled in a basket made of bulrushes. It is in five smooth stones lying on the bottom of a brook. A second way to reveal within our worship services what God has done is through testimony. Testimonies could take the form of someone standing on a platform to share a personal story. They could also be in the form of an interview; they could be live and in person or recorded on video or audio. Jesus commended the practice of testimony. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32, NIV). Jesus says if we talk about Him to each other, He will be talking about us with the Father! A third way to reveal within our worship services what God has done is through the sacraments. Many of our churches rush through or even overlook baptism and Communion. Let us take special time with these, for they are holy plot points in the stories of our life with God. One day, my teenage daughter, who had not yet been baptised, asked me how Jesus was baptised. I told her that John the Baptist probably cupped his hands and poured water over Jesus’ head.
Picture by Dragon Images/Bigstock.com
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” Matthew 10:32 (NIV) She asked me if she could be baptised by having water poured over her head. Not at the Jordan River, but during worship. I asked the pastor, and he said yes. So my daughter Hannah helped me put some plastic over the carpet, and we covered that with several layers of towels. We covered those with a long runner of blue fabric to symbolise the Jordan. When Sunday morning came, Hannah wore a simple white gown. Just before the service, she leaned over to me and asked, “Can I be barefoot?” I nodded. At the appropriate time, she knelt on the blue fabric in her bare feet. And her pastor said, “I baptise you in the name of the Father, and Son and Holy Spirit.” He gently poured an entire pitcher of
water over the girl’s head. There were many wet eyes throughout the sanctuary. A week before I wrote this article, my daughter sent me the spiritual autobiography she wrote for her application to seminary. She included the story of her baptism. The event of her baptism became a written story that will someday become a verbal story that Hannah will tell her own children. And when she is old and gray, she will tell her grandchildren. And someday in heaven, she will meet John the Baptist as well as Jesus Himself, and it will be their theme in glory to tell the old, old story. There is a great treasure for worshipping Christians of all ages – a treasure waiting to be revealed within our worship gatherings. That treasure is story. n
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:18 (NIV)
WORLD METHODISM
Penultimate meeting of world Baptist-Methodist dialogue
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he fourth – and penultimate – round of conversations of the international dialogue between Baptists and Methodists took place from 1-8 Feb 2017 at Runaway Bay, Jamaica. The overall theme of the five-year dialogue between the Baptist World Alliance and the World Methodist Council is “faith working through love”, and this year’s conversations centred on “Grace and faith: sung and preached, lived and shared”. Participants discussed a range of papers on the works of piety and mercy, in worship and preaching, including hymnody, and in the outworking of faith in practice among Methodists
and Baptists in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean. As well as considering the 10 papers submitted for discussion, work began on compiling the final report and preparing for the concluding meeting scheduled for 14-21 March 2018 at Sarum College, Salisbury, in the UK. The dialogue members participated in Sunday worship at Hoolebury Methodist Church in the St. Ann’s Bay Circuit of the Jamaica District. They were joined for the service and lunch by Bishop Everard Galbraith of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas. Earlier, the group also visited the denominational offices of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) and Jamaica Methodist District in Kingston, stopped at the United Theological
College on the campus of the University of the West Indies at Mona, called at the Bob Marley Museum, and were hosted for dinner by the General Secretary of the JBU, the Rev Karl B. Johnson. The Rev Malcolm Tan, Pastorin-Charge of Covenant Community Methodist Church (CCMC) and Training Consultant to the Methodist Missions Society, was part of the sixmember Methodist delegation. The second round of conversations had been held in Singapore at CCMC (see MM April 2015, P21). n For the official communique, see http://worldmethodistcouncil. org/2017-bilateral-dialogue-betweenthe-baptist-world-alliance-and-theworld-methodist-council-concludes-injamaica/
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MCS FOCUS: METHODIST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Twenty years of enhancing worship By the Methodist School of Music Management Committee
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nce upon a time, there was a dream… a dream in which churches in Singapore and Asia actively pursued music excellence in the worship life of the church. In this dream, musicians of the Church could draw upon both their Asian heritage and European musical styles through which to express their faith. After much prayer and deliberation, the nucleus of the Methodist School of Music was formed. The School was dedicated on 25th January, 1997.” The above is an excerpt from the first issue of the MSM News published in December 1997. Today, as the Methodist School of Music (MSM) celebrates its 20th Anniversary, this vision as articulated by the founding principal, Ms Mary Gan, still guides the school. Evolved from the previous Council of Worship & Music of The Methodist Church in Singapore, MSM was set up with a twofold mission: • To provide a vehicle whereby the Methodists in Singapore can reach out to society and contribute toward the development of music and the arts in Singapore. • To enhance the quality of worship in our churches by nurturing an interest in music and developing the musical talents of those so gifted by God. With these aspirations, MSM opened its doors at Mount Sophia on 2 Jan 1997. Officially registered with the Ministry of Education that year, MSM started with four full-time staff and 12 part-time instructors. From a humble initial group of 18 beginner students, the school’s student enrolment grew to as many as 500 at one point in time.
With the government’s acquisition of the land parcel on Mount Sophia, MSM was relocated on 31 Aug 2001 to the present Upper Bukit Timah location with much-improved facilities and more space. Then-Bishop Dr Robert Solomon conducted the official opening of the premises on 2 Feb 2002. Presently, besides music studios for teaching, MSM has a library of books, hymnals, and other reference materials for both music and worship studies. MSM has two operational arms: General Music (GM) and Worship & Music (W&M). With four full-time faculty members and over 20 adjunct instructors, many of whom are highly-qualified and accomplished Christian musicians, the GM arm offers a wide range of music courses which include piano, organ, ballet, keyboards, strings, winds, guitars and drums. MSM is the only music school in Singapore that houses a chamber organ to offer classical organ lessons. The school’s curriculum is structured to meet the international standards of the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) examinations. Each year, a good percentage of our GM students pass these examinations with distinction under the tutelage of our teachers. On the worship ministry front, MSM’s W&M department has conducted four biennial worship symposia and three runs of the six-module Certificate in Christian Worship programme. These
and music regionally programmes, together with other training events, have enhanced both the theological understanding and skills development of church musicians and other worship ministry personnel, both local and regional. As participants bring back their newlyacquired knowledge and skills to their home churches, the impact of MSM’s work extends to the wider Christian community, even beyond the shores of Singapore. Under the W&M wing, MSM formed the Methodist Festival Choir to uphold our Christian choral tradition, not least our Methodist identity as ‘a singing people’. Since its inauguration in 2013, the choir has raised awareness of important Christian calendar events such as Christmas, Lent and Advent by leading in thematically-designed worship services. It has also sung at various Methodist Annual Conference ordination services, notably led the MCS 130 Praise and Thanksgiving Service in 2015, and most recently presented at the 2016 Episcopal Consecration Service. MSM remains committed to using this ‘heavenly marriage’ between the GM and W&M to nurture and equip church musicians, worship leaders and pastors in leading the people of God in their offerings of praise and worship to our alldeserving heavenly Father, the Lord of the universe and our personal Saviour. MSM has indeed been blessed with a core team of dedicated staff, and has benefited from the guidance of the school’s management committees and the support of various churches and individuals over the years. But it is ultimately by the grace of God that MSM has come thus far over the past 20 years. As we chart our way towards our next milestone in serving the Methodist churches in Singapore and beyond, we continue to seek God’s guidance and providence. We also seek prayer and financial support from the Christian community we serve, and look forward to many more years of partnership. n Soli Deo Gloria!
Equipping sessions are a vital part of MSM’s ministry to the Christian community.
Above: MSM when it was at Mount Sophia. Below: MSM’s current location at Upper Bukit Timah.
MSM 20th Anniversary Celebrations • 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service at Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church (TA 2) on 29 April 2017, 4 p.m. • Worship Symposium 2017 at Trinity Theological College from 15 to 17 June 2017 • Certificate in Christian Worship at Trinity Theological College on 6 Saturdays: 24 June, 29 July, 26 Aug, 23 Sep, 21 Oct, and 18 Nov 2017 • MSM Annual Student Recital at the Esplanade Recital Studio on 30 Nov 2017, 7.30 p.m. • Advent Worship, “The Promise” on 3 Dec 2017 (venue to be confirmed) For details, please visit our website: msmusic.edu.sg Photos courtesy of Methodist School of Music METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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Easter solace as we remember loved ones Wendy Heng is the General Manager of The Garden of Remembrance.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” John 11: 25-26 (NKJV)
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bout 2,000 years ago on Easter, as Jesus was resurrected after taking His place on the cross to die for the sins of the world, He ransomed humanity not just from the wages of sin but also took away the sting of Death itself. Christ’s work at Calvary and His promise of eternal life still offer solace not just for the dearly departed, but also lend strength to the living who are left behind. In the face of our loss and bereavement, we are to cling on to the words of Jesus who said, “…take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). While the pain of losing a loved one is by no means lessened, families can hold fast to the hope that we will one day meet each other again in Christ’s presence. As a measure of comfort to grieving families and to remind us of Christ’s promise of eternal life, The Methodist Church in Singapore established The Garden of Remembrance. This Christian columbarium was set up to house the created remains of our beloved deceased family and friends, and to honour and remember them. The Garden of Remembrance is designed to resemble a pair of open palms coming together in prayer. Clothed in an abundance of natural light, the building provides comfort and solace to all who pass through – a testament to God, the giver of comfort and peace, who through His goodness sustains us not only in this life but for life eternal. The various private balconies and terraces overlooking the lush greenery and tranquil surroundings offer families
and loved ones a quiet and peaceful space for prayer and contemplation as they reflect on the memories of loved ones who have passed, drawing near to God and enjoying His presence. “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6) With 40,000 niches built over four stories on a vast hectare of land, the Columbarium’s wide and breezy corridors and walkways offer a spacious divide between the niche blocks, giving families the comfort and privacy they need. Single, double and premium family niche options are available at The Garden of Remembrance. The premium family niches allow family members and loved ones to be housed together in a shared area. Pricing for the single niches starts from $2,000. Nine fully air-conditioned spaces are also available for Christian wakes, funeral and memorial services. Ranging from 1,000 to 2,250 sq feet with a seating capacity of 50 to 250 persons, the Chapel and memorial rooms of various sizes are available to cater to different needs. The team at The Garden of Remembrance will be happy to facilitate the arrangement of private memorial services. Individuals who would like to find out more about the columbarium or are exploring preplanning options can visit The Garden of Remembrance at 920 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, or contact the care team at 6795-8978 or remembrance@methodist.org.sg n Photos courtesy of The Garden of Remembrance
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HYMNS & SONGS
Come, let us worship God our King! Dr Yeo Teck Beng is Principal of the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
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orship celebrates God’s great acts of salvation. During worship, God communicates to the worshipers His salvation and healing, to which the people respond with faith, praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and a life of service in the world,” said the late Dr Robert E. Webber1, an American theologian known for his work in worship studies. Indeed the church of God joyfully gathers every Sunday to tell and enact the story of God’s saving deeds through the songs we sing and through the reading and preaching of Scripture. As the people of God are nourished by His Word, the worship community responds with acts of praise and adoration, offertory and the Eucharistic meal. Nothing depicts a model of worship better than Sir Robert Grant’s hymn, ‘O Worship the King’. A free paraphrase of Psalm 104, Sir Grant’s hymn urges worshippers to “sing [of] God’s power and God’s love” (stanza 1), to “tell of God’s might” and to “sing of God’s grace” (stanza 2) as a response to God’s work in Creation. For the One who is clothed with splendour and robed in light, we as God’s ransomed creation should raise our voices in worthy praise and adoration of our heavenly King. Sir Robert Grant (1779-1838), who was of Scottish ancestry but born in India, described himself and all of us as “frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,” even though he was trained in the legal profession, became a member of the Parliament of Scotland and was knighted in 1834, two years after he was appointed governor of Bombay.2 In the last two stanzas, Sir Grant’s use of descriptive names (“Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend”) in exalting the Almighty conveys a more personal tone that depicts a relationship between the Creator, the Redeemer and His creatures, the redeemed. After all, biblical worship is based on a covenant between a loving God who calls and His people who respond in faith and obedience. So let us respond to the call of the Psalmist and join with the heavenly hosts to sing glorious praise to our God and worship Him. n
O Worship the King
(The United Methodist Hymnal, #73) O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing God’s power and God’s love; our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise. O tell of God’s might, O sing of God’s grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is God’s path on the wings of the storm. The earth with its store of wonders untold, Almighty, thy power hath founded of old; hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree, and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light; it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. Words: Sir Robert Grant, 1833 (Ps. 104) Music: Attr. to Johann Haydn; arr. by William Gardiner, 1815
obert Webber, Worship Old & New: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical R Introduction (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1994), 14. 2 Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich: Kregel Publications, 1990), 265. 1
Picture by Polarpx/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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Connecting the dots at Easter What do the Passover, the Lord’s Supper and the Marriage Supper have in common?
The Rev Dr David W. F. Wong is the senior pastor of Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church. He has been in the pastoral ministry for over 40 years. Lyricist to six musicals and author of 12 books, he is married to Jenny, and they are blessed with two daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.
When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, it was not the end — it was only the beginning of something that would culminate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
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e all live in time. We have a past, a present and a future. Some of us have more years in the past than we have in the future. Others have more years in the future than in the past. Whichever we may be, we all live in the present, bracketed by our past on the one hand, and our future on the other. As believers in Jesus, we are blessed indeed. We have a glorious legacy from the past. We also have a glorious prospect in the future. We are reminded of this each time we take part in the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. We hear the words of Jesus: “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, KJV). We also heed the words of the apostle Paul: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor 11:26, KJV) We look back to Jesus’ death, and we look forward to His coming again. Our God is above time and beyond time. He is neither limited by time, nor is He trapped in time. Unlike us, He is sovereign over time and dwells in eternity. He does not change with time, and what He does is consistent through the span of human history from beginning to the end. Hence, all the dots He imprinted in history can be connected. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22, and when we observe it today, the communal meal reminds us of the Passover of Exodus 12. It also looks forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19 — events which are thousands of years apart. God is not bounded by time. What He does at one point in history is consistent with what He does
at another point in history. The three events — the Passover, the Last Supper and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb — represent the unfolding of God’s purpose for humankind. They all point to the divine grand plan of rescue and redemption. We are participants The three events have a few things in common. Firstly, they invite us to be participants, not spectators. The children of Israel took part in the Passover meal. The disciples of Jesus took part in the Last Supper. We will take part in the wedding feast of the Lamb. Each is a picture of what God is doing. We learn best when a picture is presented to us. We learn best when we are involved in an activity. As we are often told, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I learn.” Today, more than ever, we are visual people. The computer revolution, the digital revolution — together with the iPhone, CGI, Windows icons, HD TV — they have made us all increasingly visual people. We learn best when we see images, whether on paper, on screen or in our minds. So God lets us see something. The Passover has the lamb, the bitter herbs, and the unleavened bread. The Last Supper has the bread and the cup. The Marriage Feast has a bride all dressed up for the bridegroom. Not only does God let us see, He also lets us participate. We learn best when we do. Increasingly, learning is becoming activity-based. From pre-school to post-graduate, we learn best when we not only hear about it, see it, but also do it. So the Passover, the Last Supper and the Marriage Feast are all participatory events. We do not stand and watch; we are part of the event. And all the senses of our human body are involved. We hear the words of Jesus, we see the lamb, we smell the wine, we taste the bitter herbs, and we feel the wedding dress. We are immersed in the events. That is one common thread running through the three events. The Lamb that was slain Secondly, the three events all feature a lamb. In Exodus, a lamb is killed and its blood smeared over the doorways of the house where the meal is eaten. At the Last Supper, the host is Jesus, the Lamb which takes away the sins of the world. At the Marriage Feast, the bridegroom is called the Lamb. In fact the feast is known as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Continued on page 20... Background picture by Zainpep/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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...continued from page 19
Each time the lamb is mentioned, it is one that has been slain, whose blood has been shed. Blood is not something we naturally like. I once thought I could become a medical doctor. It was my father’s ambition for me. However, I learned very quickly that I was not cut out to be a doctor. When we had to dissect animals to study their insides, I could not take it. I could not take the sight of blood. But God chose to communicate through blood, the blood of an innocent animal slaughtered at the prime of its life. Scripture makes it clear that sin demands a penalty, and that penalty must be paid in blood. Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. The Passover made an indelible mark on the people of Israel because of the blood of the Passover lamb. Its blood over their doorways kept them safe, or else sudden death would have been their fate. No one was spared except those made safe by the blood of a lamb. At the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus made clear to them that it is His body that would be broken and His blood that would be shed — that would absolve them from the penalty of sin. The blood would seal the new covenant, where the grace of God would prevail when our righteousness could not measure up.
One day, at the Marriage Supper, Jesus will come for His bride — those He bought with His own blood — and take her to Himself. It will be an occasion of great rejoicing: “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready…” (Rev 19:7) It is interesting that the final union between Christ and the Church is not described as the feast of the King or the Lion — but the feast of the Lamb. God wants to make a point, even to the very end, that it was blood that bought us. It was the blood of a lamb. Blood is the price paid, and paid by someone as innocent and pure as a lamb. From beginning to end, the good news of the Gospel is the good news of grace. What we could not do, the Lamb of God did. Not only are we invited to be participants in the Passover, the Last Supper, and Marriage Supper, we are reminded that in each case, blood is shed by a lamb to make us participants. Time dimensions Finally, the three events bring together the three time dimensions of the past, the present and the future. Our God is not only a God who is sovereign over time, He is a God who is thorough over time. What He begins, He brings to completion. What He began at the Passover meal, he brings to completion at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Of course, the pivotal point was the cross which the Last Supper symbolised – the body broken, and the blood shed.
“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready…” Revelation 19:7
Picture by zatletic/Bigstock.com
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”
1 Cor 11:26 (KJV)
As believers in Jesus, we have both a glorious past and a glorious future. We have a past to cherish, and a future to anticipate. Good Friday is only part of a bigger picture. When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, it was not something new. It had been anticipated for over a thousand years, by the Passover meal. When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, it was not the end — it was only the beginning of something that would culminate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Our faith is rooted in the past, yet not imprisoned within it. There are some faiths that look only to the past. They are full of traditions to be preserved and observed. Their beliefs are not capable of facing the challenges of the present or of the future, so they hark back to the past. On the other extreme are faiths that look only to the future. They have no interest in the past and no hope for the present. They are simply waiting for something that would come in the future, a kind of “pie in the sky when I die”. Again, such beliefs
cannot cope with the challenges of the present, so they long to escape from them to some future utopia. But the Christian faith is different: it has a past to fall back on, and a future to look forward to. As a result it can deal with any challenge in the present. Each time I hear the words spoken at the Lord’s Supper – “this is My body which is broken for you” or “this is the blood of the new covenant, shed for the forgiveness of sin” — I think back to the past, to Jesus at the Last Supper, to Moses and the Passover meal. I also look forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, for we are remembering what Jesus told us to do “till He comes”. The past reassures me that Jesus’ death on the cross has completed the work of salvation. The future reassures me that He will return one day to take me home with Him. Our present is safe because our past is secure and our future is certain. n Reprinted with permission from IMPACT Magazine, Apr/May 2013, Vol. 37, No. 2. Background picture by Zainpep/Bigstock.com
POEMS
Easter Dawn Dr Oliver Seet is a member of Wesley Methodist Church and a Board Director of the Metropolitan YMCA. At the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, there is a Glory brighter than ten thousand suns that I can only see in reflection. It is a Glory that transcends Earth and Heaven, Illuminating every corner of my consciousness for it is the primal light of the Son of God triumphant over the crushing power, the scorpion sting of Death and the Grave and from the Dominion from whose bourne No traveller returns.
Yet He drank the fatal cup of mortality and suffering to its lees, raided the Provinces of Hades, seizing the keys of that pallid fiefdom and rose victorious from the sealed sepulchre of annihilation becoming the firstborn of the Dead. And that Glory at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death is the effulgent luminance of the Risen Christ brighter than ten thousand suns, more glorious than any man or angelic being, the very Glory of God Himself.
And I celebrate this day with utmost joy, recalling that first Easter morning, suffused with inexpressible gratitude for my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Chist. But for His glorious light at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, we would have perished in deepest misery, facing an eternity of damnable darkness, blighted, despairing without a shred of hope. But because of that Easter Dawn two millennia ago, we have His assurance at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death that as He has risen we too shall rise and that Eternal Life can be ours for the asking and receiving through His shed blood.
Background picture by layritten/Bigstock.com
April IS THE MONTH FOR
LEARNING TO NAVIGATE WISELY AS WOMEN IN THIS VUCA WORLD
22 April (Saturday), 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Toa Payoh Methodist Church, 480 Lor 2 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319641
Scan here to see
events online! What do you do when you are in circumstances that are volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous (VUCA)? Is it possible to navigate out of this victoriously, feeling unshaken, achieving complete peace and assurance? Be a part of this exclusive women’s conference and be inspired by ladies who will share how they rise above their challenges to live a transformed life.
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Organised by Trinity Annual Conference Women’s Society of Christian Service. Entry by registration only. $20 per person (includes lunch and two tea breaks) Register at register.tracwscs.org by 9 April.
SIGNING UP FOR MSM’S WORSHIP SYMPOSIUM 2017
15-17 June (Thursday-Saturday), 9 a.m. – 7.10 p.m.
Methodist School of Music, 496 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678099 Trinity Theological College, 490 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678093 The Worship Symposium is a three-day conference for pastors, worship leaders, worship planners, liturgists, prayer leaders, musicians, choral conductors, song leaders, choristers and all who are interested in the study of worship. Themed ‘Life as Worship’, it queries how our Sunday worship relates to our daily lives, and how worship forms us so that we make a meaningful connection. The Symposium aims to provide formative training and mentorship in worship and theology, and music in worship, to explore the vital link. Organised by the Methodist School of Music in celebration of its 20th Anniversary. Early-bird rates are available before 30 April.
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For more info, visit msmusic.edu.sg/events/worship-symposium-2017, or register at tinyurl.com/2017worshipsymposium
DEPICTING BIBLICAL FAMILIES THROUGH ART – “COLOURS OF THE BIBLE” ART COMPETITION
Calling for entries from now till 22 June 2017
Colours of the Bible is an annual art competition and exhibition that celebrates the beauty, culture and history of the Bible and the land of Israel. Now in its fourth edition, participants from all walks of life have come together to create artworks based various themes. The theme for 2017 is ‘Families in the Bible’. Participants from Singapore, Israel and beyond are invited to use visual art to depict families and their significance in the Bible — and stand to win attractive prizes along the way! Jointly organised by The Bible Society® of Singapore and The Embassy of Israel in Singapore. Closing date for Singaporean entries: 22 June
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For more information on Colours of the Bible, and to register, visit colours.bible.org.sg
REGISTERING FOR THE D6 FAMILY CONFERENCE
28-29 July (Friday & Saturday), 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. Paya Lebar Methodist Church, 5 Boundary Rd, Singapore 549954
The D6 Family Conference touches on the topic of Generational Discipleship. According to Deuteronomy 6 (D6), the family is to be the centre of spiritual formation. The event aims to help churches, ministry leaders and parents develop and sustain an integrated discipleship strategy that combines the relationship and influence of the church and the home. Organised by the Sower Institute for Biblical Discipleship and The Bible Society® of Singapore. Early-bird registration will end on 30 April. For more info and registration, visit www.D6family.sg
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Invite your Chinese-speaking friends and congregation to the Chinese D6 Family Conference! Visit chinese.D6family.sg for details. METHODIST MESSAGE • APR 2017
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THINK
Easter – the great 50 days Dr Yeo Teck Beng is Principal of the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
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aster Day is the opening day of this season which spans a period of eight Sundays, or 50 days to be exact. Endorsed by the late second- and early third-century Latin theologian Tertullian, the 50 days of the Easter season is a period of great joy and gladness, for the explosive force of the Lord’s resurrection is too vast to be contained within a celebration of just one day.1 Indeed, Easter’s 50 days are based on the great Jewish festival of 50 days that began with the opening of the harvest season, two days after the start of Passover when Israel rejoiced in the spring harvest.2 In the same way, the Church rejoices in the resurrection for 50 days, starting two days after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Paschal Lamb, on the cross. The Great 50 Days extend until their culmination on the Day of Pentecost. As the Church runs the course of the 50 days, it moves towards a fuller understanding of what the Lord’s resurrection means. Easter is not one closing day at the end of the 40 days of Lent. Rather, Easter is one extended rejoicing in the resurrection that surpasses the length of the Lenten disciplines. To heighten this awareness, the subsequent Sundays after Easter Day are designated as “Second (Third through Seventh) Sunday of Easter.” This change in terminology cannot be undervalued, because Easter is perceived as an extended season and not as having lasted only one day.3 Liturgically, white and gold are traditional colours for the Easter season and basic visual symbols such as the cross, the Lord’s Table, and baptismal font can be enhanced by using brightly-coloured cloths with elegant textiles to reflect the joy of the season.4 As for the lectionary readings in the Service of the Word, the first reading of the Old Testament is replaced by the reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Starting from Easter Sunday, the first reading throughout the Easter season focuses on the events of the early Church as God’s people, as the Easter people preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. While the season of Lent is characterised as a season for reflection and contemplation, the observance of the entire Easter season is a time for both discovery and reconsideration. For the newly baptised, this is a time for them to reflect on the import of their new faith in Christ and to discover their new identities within the community of faith. For more mature Christians, this is a time to review the basics of their faith in the Risen One and to look for deeper meaning in their union with Christ both in the participation of His death and of His resurrection (Rom 6:4-5). Ultimately, the season of
Easter should be for every congregation a time of unapologetic affirmation of essential Christian faith. Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! n
Easter is not one closing day at the end of the 40 days of Lent. Rather, Easter is one extended rejoicing in the resurrection that surpasses the length of the Lenten disciplines.
artin Connell, Eternity Today: On the Liturgical Year, Volume 2 (New York, N.Y.: Continuum, 2006), 158. M Laurence Hull Stookey, Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996), 55. 3 Ibid., 56. 4 Hoyt L. Hickman, The New Handbook of the Christian Year: Based on the Revised Common Lectionary (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 213. 1
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