Methodist Message: August 2014 issue

methodist message Vol 116 No 8 • Aug 2014

inside

this issue...

Happy Birthday Singapore!

ISSN 0129-6868 MCI (P) 199/01/2014

The Methodist Church in Singapore

message.methodist.org.sg

Interview with Dr Cheah Fung Fong Children in ministry

Methodist School of Music Becoming God’s Instruments

Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon Expect great things from God

pages 7-8

pages 12-13

page 18

Two evenings that could change your life – for God Kam Leong Heng is the Communications Executive at the Methodist Missions Society. He worships at Charis Methodist Church and is married to Sharon. They have two wonderful young boys.

MMS MISSIONS RALLY • 5-6 SEPTEMBER 2014

C

alling all young people across our Methodist churches: You’ve encountered Christ – you’ve tasted His goodness, and you’ve been touched by His love.

It’s now time to bring the Good News beyond your world, to people who are poor and marginalised, to offer hope when all seems hopeless, to touch hearts and save souls.

But, where do you start? For Tam Wai Jia, at age 18, very much sheltered and fiercely protected by conservative parents, she never thought that the seed planted in her heart to learn more about missions would ever come to fruition.

Victor from Bukit Panjang Methodist Church teaching English to children in Thailand in June 2009.

But God made a way. Through the Missions Internship Training & Exposure (MITE) programme by the Methodist Missions Society (MMS), she stayed for five weeks at Sophia’s Home in Kathmandu, Nepal, as a volunteer teacher and friend to the 21 girls there, many of whom came from circumstances too shocking for us to even imagine.

That was in 2006. After she returned, she produced a picture book, “Kitesong”. She was then just 19, a newly-minted graduate from Victoria Junior College. She illustrated and wrote the book (which later became an animated video) and

Larisa Cheng from Covenant Community Methodist Church helping in a field harvest – literally! – in Cambodia in 2011.

went on to raise more than $110,000 for the children of Sophia’s Home.

Fast forward to 2011. Wai Jia graduated from the NUS School of Medicine and was awarded the Young Outstanding Singaporean Award for her work in developing nations. She got married in 2012, and is now in Uganda with her husband, serving as missionaries from Cornerstone Community Church.

When God calls, He has a plan – whether for now, or for later. David Chan Wan Keat took the leap of faith to leave his teaching profession in early 2013 after 14 years with the Ministry of Education.

For a while, it was a period of monotony, seclusion and uncertainty. Then God began unfolding His sovereign plan to uproot David and his family from Singapore to Timor-Leste. In September 2013, David visited Timor-Leste for the first tme. He said: “The trip made me realise how hungry and thirsty for righteousness the Timorese are.”

Continuation of cover story – p8

COMING UP

Marking a decade of prayers for our nation National Day Thanksgiving Service 2014 August 14 (Thursday), 7.45 pm The New Sanctuary of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, 11 St. Andrew’s Road

PRAY u for our nation, our national and church leaders, and for the event to be pleasing to God. JOIN US u with your church members in this act of national worship.

Photos courtesy of the National Council of Churches of Singapore

This year’s National Day Thanksgiving Service will be held at the New Sanctuary of St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

T

en years ago, churches and Christians in Singapore gathered at the very first National Day Thanksgiving Service as one Body in Christ to pray for our country. On August 12, 2004, as Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong was being sworn in, Singaporean Christians prayed for our nation, its Cabinet, its Parliament and its Civil Service.

This spirit of unity and love for our nation has not wavered over the past decade, as year after year saw the return of this key event in the local Church body, organised by the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS). Born out of a desire to pray and worship together as a community of believers, the event is attended by diverse people: clergy and lay leaders of the Church, politicians, government officials, civic and community leaders, and church members.

Yet, their goal remains the same: To come together to praise and thank God for His merciful blessings on Singapore, and to pray for the country’s continued peace, prosperity and stability.

This year’s service will be held at the historic venue of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, following a simple form: a time of thanksgiving and prayer, anthems and scripture reading. The newly-elected President of NCCS, Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup, will preach a sermon titled “Arise, O LORD!”, based on Psalm 9:19.

Will you come and join Christ’s Body in praying for Singapore? n

Organised by the National Council of Churches of Singapore.

For more information, visit nccs.org.sg, or call 6336-8177.

Addendum We left out some parts of the new logo for the Trinity Annual Conference in our article on page 20 in last month’s issue – the five “W” words were missing. We apologise; here’s the complete logo!

methodist message

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 New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

Our address

Design & Production SNAP! Creative Pte Ltd

Methodist Message • #06-04, 70 Barker Road, Singapore 309936 Tel: 6478-4793 • Fax: 6478-4794 Email: newmm@methodist.org.sg MM website: message.methodist.org.sg Church website: www.methodist.org.sg

Let us have your views

Editorial Board Adviser and Publisher Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup, Chairman, Council on Communications Editor Ms Christina Stanley Assistant Editor Ms Grace Toh Sub-editor Ms Tan-Ngooi Chiu Ai Editorial Executive Ms Chia Hui Jun

Have something to say or share? Email us at newmm@methodist.org.sg and if appropriate, your contribution could be published.

BISHOP’S MESSAGE

What makes a nation great Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup was elected Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore in 2012. He has been a Methodist pastor for 29 years.

“R

ighteousness exalts a nation”, said the wise man in Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV).

The Good News Bible translates the verse simply as: “Righteousness makes a nation great.”

What then is “righteousness”? In Hebrew, the language in which the Proverbs were written, it means to adhere to what is required according to a standard. Bearing in mind that it was an Old Testament saint who wrote this, that standard is based on the covenant relationship between God and His people.

The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible notes: “Biblical usage thus differs from customary modern association of the word (i.e. righteousness) with absolute standards, indicating instead that some person, action, or thing meets or fulfills the requirements of a given relationship. Righteousness is also the responsibility of the king and the judges, who are charged with preserving the covenant community.”

Whether we believe in God or not, we can relate to one another in a “right” way.

The requirements of those relationships were spelt out in the laws that God gave to Moses. Failing to live up to them was considered sin, which is “a reproach to any people” (the second half of the Proverb in question). Righteousness in the Proverb, then, is following a moral code of conduct in our relationships. It is something even those who do not believe in God can do.

Paul explains how this is possible in his letter to the Romans: “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.” Romans 2:14-15 (NLT) Hence, this concept of righteousness is applicable also in contemporary secular society.

Whether we believe in God or not, we can relate to one another in a “right” way. Although what is “right” may vary according to different cultures, there are certain ideals we all uphold in human relationships.

High on the list is how we treat one another as human beings. Each person is unique and is to be treated with respect. If we believe that every person is created in the image of God, then there is an even higher demand on how we relate with each individual, regardless of whether he or she is a believer, no matter how tarnished or damaged that image might be. We seek to be in a relationship with such persons in order that that image might be restored fully in Christ.

What makes a nation great is not the wealth it has in terms of physical and financial resources. Of what use are all these, when they end up benefitting a few who manipulate them for their selfish use at the expense of millions who suffer because they do not have access to the wealth these resources generate? When what is “right” in a nation is measured by its people looking out for each other to benefit the whole community, then that nation is great.

But history is laden with fallen nations that began with such high hopes. Even the Bible is filled with accounts of kingdoms supposedly under the government of God that failed miserably.

Eventually, what is right must come from hearts that are purely unselfish and othercentred. This is something that no human ingenuity can ever develop. It has to be a new creation, something the Bible promised is possible in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What makes a nation great? When the righteous deeds of its people come from hearts made right by a righteous God. n

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

|3

BRMC MARRIAGE CONFERENCE

Conflicts: Don’t shoot. Uproot.

Andrea Low is a volunteer contributor who is passionate about storytelling and graphic design. A PR communications professional by day, she worships at Christalite Methodist Chapel.

H

ave you ever considered what percentage of our communication is through words?

Studies have shown that what we say is usually interpreted through: 55 per cent body language, 35 per cent tone of voice, two per cent intuitive, and a mere eight percent through words.

Communication is not just about what we say but how we say it. Daunting as it may seem, Focus on the Family representatives Gary and Joanna Koh showed at the Barker Road Methodist Church “Marriage for a Lifetime” Conference, held in March 2014, how effective communication can be mastered in a relationship.

Is it okay to fight?

“When two people agree on everything, one of them is redundant.” (Looking Up the Aisle by David and Joyce Ames) So yes, it is okay to fight. Many people feel that conflict is negative and should be avoided at all cost. However, there is such a thing as healthy conflict. This is how positive outcomes develop and how a couple hones each other’s strengths and perspectives. Proverbs 27:17 says: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Gary and Joanna point out that it is more rewarding to resolve a conflict than to dissolve a relationship. Creating space for conflict on important issues is the basis for open communication and a two-way dialogue.

What are the top conflict triggers in a relationship?

You may not be surprised to know that money and in-laws are the top triggers for disagreements in a marriage. This is followed by parenting styles, sex, division of chores and just plain miscommunication. At least half of these topics surface in every marriage and Gary and Joanna suggest some “rules of engagement” when addressing these sensitive issues.

Rules of engagement The number one rule is to “Fight Fair” in terms of atmosphere, attitude and approach. There is a right time and right place to bring up issues of conflict. It should be in a safe and balanced space, preferably in private and not in the presence of other individuals.

Both parties should have the right attitude and be conscious not to adopt an accusatory tone with each other. A golden tip is to use “I” and not “You”: “I feel tired and burdened when you don’t do your share of the chores”, versus “You never fulfil your duty and you never consider how tired I may be”. Both statements communicate the same idea but they are very different in delivery. Approach conflicts in a mature way.

Gary and Joanna advise couples to “uproot and not shoot”. Take the opportunity to uproot any current wrongs and hurts, with the objective of resolving the matter. Couples should avoid bringing up past wrongs and already resolved issues in order to support their stand in a current matter.

As it takes two hands to clap, it also takes two committed and receptive individuals to resolve a conflict.

Love and respect as guiding principles The following statements, though not always true, are usually accurate: While men focus on facts and fixing problems, women are more inclined to consider emotions and share feelings. Women are great with details and men with the “big picture”.

Joanna and Gary Koh from Focus on the Family, sharing tips on healthy communication at the “Marriage for a Lifetime” conference organised by Barker Road Methodist Church.

Couples should avoid bringing up past wrongs and already resolved issues in order to support their stand in a current matter.

Women are relational creatures whereas men are able to remove themselves from situations. Women are skilled at multi-tasking but men are better at focusing on one task at a time.

Because men and women are made differently and are motivated by different things, conflicts are bound to arise. A saying goes: Ridicule is as toxic to men as not being cared for is to women.

Ephesians 5:33 says: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

When it comes down to the basics, love and respect are key values for a strong marriage rooted in Christ. n

SIGN UP u for Focus on the Family’s Connect2 programme, for couples preparing for marriage or in their first year of marriage. Two five-hour training sessions will be conducted by trained married couples.

VISIT u Focus on the Family’s website at www.family.org.sg for more information, other workshops, articles and resources related to communication in a marriage.

Photo at bottom left courtesy of Focus on the Family Singapore

SAYS THE CAC PRESIDENT

Practicing hospitality – the mark of a disciple The Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung was re-elected President of the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) in 2012 for the quadrennium. He has been a Methodist pastor for 30 years and has been a guest lecturer at Trinity Theological College since 1996.

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:13

P

racticing hospitality is an act of kindness. In Romans 12:13, Paul says: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” How far is our hospitality to go?

The word “hospitality” used by Paul has the implicit meaning of “hospitality that costs”. Authentic hospitality calls for generous giving and even sacrifice, and this is not easy.

This, however, is what it means to be a disciple of Christ – to live according to His purpose and discipline ourselves in doing what many others may not view as easy.

In ancient times, once a traveller left the gates of his city, it would be difficult to return before nightfall. There were few guesthouses for travellers then and they would need to seek accommodation in strangers’ homes for a night, a few days, or even a week. Such accommodation did not come free – payment could be monetary or in the form of household chores or manual tasks carried out for the hosts. It was therefore common to find strangers and travellers staying in households, their length of stay determined by how hospitable their hosts were.

Of course, such customs of hospitality could be abused by the dishonourable who might overstay their welcome. An interesting find in an early 2nd-century Christian treatise, The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, was advice for disciples on the reception of travellers and how to guard against exploitation: “But receive everyone who comes in the name of the Lord, and prove and know him afterward; for you shall have understanding right and left. If he who comes is a wayfarer,

assist him as far as you are able; but he shall not remain with you more than two or three days, if need be. But if he wants to stay with you, and is an artisan, let him work and eat. But if he has no trade, according to your understanding, see to it that, as a Christian, he shall not live with you idle. But if he wills not to do, he is a Christ-monger. Watch that you keep away from such.” (Chapter 12) Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 25 that when the Son of Man comes in His glory, He will gather all the nations before Him. Those who are rewarded receive their inheritance because, to the Lord, whatever they did for one of the least of their brothers and sisters had been done for Him. Jesus said: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…”

Hence, showing hospitality to strangers, travellers, friends or associates is a mark of discipleship. We may even be surprised to find that we have “shown hospitality to angels without knowing it”. (Hebrews 13:2) In conclusion, let us be mindful that we should show hospitality without expecting repayment from our guests. If we see it as something done for the Lord, this will keep us going, and Jesus offers encouragement that we will be repaid at the resurrection (Luke 14:14).

If we offer hospitality expecting appreciation and reward, we will be disappointed for people are generally forgetful. Therefore, consider it an extra blessing when you receive the guests’ gratitude and appreciation for your hospitality after their departure.

On our part, we must never forget to thank those who receive us as their guests and show us hospitality. n

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

|5

YOU & YOUR FAMILY

Who’s the one that’s really poor?

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.

F

Poor street kids in Delhi, India, receiving free food. Picture by paul prescott/Bigstock.com

What does our pattern of giving say about us?

How would our Lord view our relationship with those who are less privileged, as revealed through our giving? If our Lord’s grace was measured to us as ours is to others, what would our situation be?

ew would have missed the Sunday Times headlines a couple of months ago, of how a widowed mother of four used up almost a million dollars that was donated to her after the tragic death of her husband. Pictures of her and her young children stared sullenly out to the readers.

Stories of the widow’s plight are sure to reignite debates over how we as members of a community respond to the plight of the needy, especially when beneficiaries appear to have behaved foolishly and irresponsibly. These words may be inappropriately harsh, given that we may not know all the facts.

However, the facts that were reported speak of failed investments, loans made to other needy relatives and a lifestyle that was unsustainable for most families, not to mention one that had no fixed income.

Such accounts illustrate the weaknesses of humans, but also highlight the good. I am struck by the nameless and faceless people who, upon reading about the death of the woman’s husband, dug into their pockets and gave without any expectations of thanks or gain. I also read of the employer of the deceased who went beyond just paying compensation for the family’s loss but arranged for a grief counsellor and a financial consultant to help the widow.

Finally, let us not forget how the widow herself was willing to financially help other needy relatives.

Of course, on hindsight, we can say that it was rather short-sighted of her to help others where there was little prospect of them repaying her and when she too was in a financially weak position. But her act of kindness to others in need is not isolated.

Many social workers would attest to the fact that some of their needy clients do demonstrate acts of selflessness.

Such acts of compassion stand in contrast to examples of human callousness: when we see able-bodied travellers on the MRT pretending to be asleep, so that they would not be deemed guilty of knowingly withholding their seat from an elderly or a pregnant traveller; or when busy passers-by ignore a person who has fallen and is in obvious pain. We need to consciously remind ourselves that not all of humanity is hardened.

What are we to do when we hear of another plea for help?

When we have the proverbial Lazarus sitting at our doorstep pleading for some charity? Some may look the other way. They may also justify their actions by saying that they do not want to encourage begging and their refusal to give may even lead the person to develop greater self-reliance.

Others may assuage their conscience by remembering that they are part of the automatic deduction scheme; that every month, a dollar of their salary goes to an ethnicbased welfare organisation and that therefore they have done their part.

Still others may channel their giving to charities of their choice.

Finally, there are those who donate only when cornered by a persistent volunteer canvasser, otherwise known as a flag-seller.

Once having done so, we make sure we wear the token “flag” prominently lest we are accosted again by another eager volunteer.

What does our pattern of giving say about us? How would our Lord view our relationship with those who are less privileged, as revealed through our giving? If our Lord’s grace was measured to us as ours is to others, what would our situation be?

In reflecting on the Sunday Times story, I try not to judge the actions of the poor widow. I avoid doing so not because I am overflowing with compassion, but because I am aware of my own dire poverty of spirit. n

HOME

Children in ministry Grace Toh is the Assistant Editor of Methodist Message and has been a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church for most of her life.

“Seeing children equipped, discipled and released to serve God has been such an exciting journey for me. It’s an honour to be part of what God is doing in and through the children! Children are disciples in training, not disciples in waiting.”

M

ust children grow up before they can serve, or can they minister to others while they are still children?

Dr Cheah Fung Fong, Chairman of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) Board of Children’s Ministry (BOCM), has good reason to believe that they can. She says: “Stories abound today of how God is using children who are ministering to their peers, to their families, and to the nations.”

Increasingly, children have been involved in missions, worship and prayer.

They are not just “receiving” ministry, but are in fact co-ministering with adults: Sharing the gospel to their peers on mission trips; writing their own songs, being involved in creative arts e.g. tambourine or dance ministries, serving in worship bands; and interceding intentionally at children’s prayer groups, prayer meetings and prayer walks.

Children from Fairfield Methodist Church visited Phnom Penh, Cambodia, every year for six years to run a Vacation Bible School at the Methodist School there. They made a unique impact through leading games, conducting worship, sharing Bible lessons and even preaching the Gospel.

Their Christian peers in Cambodia observed all this first-hand, and were so inspired that, in the fifth year, these youth organised their own mission trips to share God’s Word and the Gospel with the children and youth in rural villages!

Children in ministry are not just a recent “fad”, nor are children restricted to ministering only to their peers. Dr Cheah notes: “In the Bible, God used children for kingdom purposes, even while they were young. Little Samuel was

Methodist Message Assistant Editor, Grace Toh, interviewed Dr Cheah Fung Fong to better understand the role of children in ministry. Dr Cheah is Chairman of the Trinity Annual Conference Board of Children’s Ministry and is a member of Fairfield Methodist Church. Her three children are now young adults.

Children from Christ Methodist Church leading the congregation in musical worship, at the Global Day of Prayer session held at Bedok Methodist Church in 2012.

Cambodian children responding to a mission team from Bedok Methodist Church this year that also consisted of children.

a child serving God in the temple when God spoke to him. King Josiah was eight when he turned the nation of Israel back to worshipping God rather than idols. Namaan’s slave girl, though a child, was able to tell her mistress of the true God of Israel who could heal her master from his leprosy.

“God has also used children throughout history. D. L. Moody’s evangelistic campaigns included children who interceded in prayer for him as he held his rallies. The modern Bible Society movement in more than 200 countries and territories was inspired by a 10-year-old girl who was determined to own her own Bible.”

In fact, 19 years ago, Dr Cheah’s call from the Lord to serve in Children’s Ministry (CM) was confirmed by a 10-year-old boy who prayed for her at a week-long CM training in Alor Setar, Malaysia.

“He came and prayed for me, praying exactly the same things that the Lord had laid on my heart. It is this clear call that has sustained me through all these years.

“Seeing children equipped, discipled and released to serve God has been such an exciting journey for me. It’s an honour to be part of what God is doing in and through the children! Children are disciples in training, not disciples in waiting.”

But who will train these disciples? A study has shown that in a year, a child of primary school age spends 1,260 hrs (22 per cent) at school, and a whopping 3,000 hrs (52 per cent) at home. A meagre 40 hrs or 0.7 per cent is spent at church.

Parents have a wonderful opportunity and a crucial mandate to teach, train, equip, coach and model for our children what it means to love God and to live our lives for Him. Says Dr Cheah: “It is so important to guide and train our children, while they are young, to choose Jesus as the anchor in their lives. He alone can guide them through the challenges of life, which increasingly complicated in the post-modern times that they are growing up in. Proverbs 22:6 is a command as well as a promise: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.’ (NKJV)” Continued next page METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

|7

HOME

Fear not, parents, for help is at hand. The TRAC BOCM has opened up their yearly equipping conference to parents of children and pre-teens.

Last year, they held the Family Matters Conference; this month, the Family Still Matters Conference (see box) will have a strong focus on the role of parents in bringing up their children. It will also address trends and issues in CM. The TRAC BOCM has shared resources amongst TRAC churches, including group subscriptions to CM websites and distributed books or music CDs. A yearly CM network meeting is usually held in February or March for CM teachers, where best practices in CM work are shared.

CM has also grown in other areas; some churches have started pre-teen ministry, ministry to children with special needs, and creative outreach programmes to children in the community. n

How can we support the crucial work of Children’s Ministry in our churches?

Pray for parents in their role of bringing up children in the ways of the Lord. Be supportive of them, come alongside them to encourage them and help them in this journey.

Accept the children as members of the church of today. As a church, give the children opportunity to join in with the life of the church body – in services, in celebrations, and teaching and re-modelling the sacraments that Jesus instituted for the Church to follow.

Give priority to next-generation ministries in the Church. Invest in Children and Youth workers who can intentionally mentor children and youth.

Join in and serve in CM to reach out to children, disciple them, and release them to serve God in their generation.

Family Still Matters Conference • August 23, 2014 (Saturday) Bedok Methodist Church Register before August 11, 2014 (Monday) www.bible.org.sg/family

Photos courtesy of the Trinity Annual Conference Board of Children’s Ministry

COVER STORY

Two evenings that could change your life – for God Today David is planning to be a missionary for MMS and to go to Timor-Leste in 2015 to be involved in the school ministry there.

Nurse Chen Qiuluan yearned to go into the mission field. After four years as a nurse, she quit, sought training through Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and then spent four months as a MITE participant in Cambodia. Qiuluan said: “I went and never looked back. In Cambodia, I saw how the missionaries there had spent more than 10 years of their lives doing God’s will. I sensed God telling me to spend four years in this country. I’m now at my two-year mark, and I know that I made the right decision.”

God can do mighty things through you, if you would allow Him to – on short mission trips from one to three months through MITE, or to serve in other ways.

Be inspired and find out more at our twonight Missions Rally (refer to the Poster), during which our two key speakers – Pastor Benny Ho of Faith Community Church in Perth, Australia, and the Rev Malcolm Tan of Barker Road Methodist Church – will share their passion and commitment to missions, and show how you can be a part of God’s plan to save souls.

Be uplifted in praise and worship that will be led by the internationally-renowned worship leader and song-writer, Bob Fitts, together with award-

... continued from page 1

winning singer, Juwita Suwito, and Alarice Thio, who released her debut EP in 2008.

Be encouraged and uplifted by a testimony by 26-year old Ailene Chou, who was first exposed to God’s global purposes at just eight years old.

“I knew Jesus as my best friend and was shocked that there were so many who didn’t know Him.” Since then she has participated in missions. She has seen God’s faithfulness – sending people to explain the Bible and caring for His workers in practical ways. n

MITE participant Serena Chew from Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, farming with the kids at COSI orphanage in May 2011.

REQUEST FOR TICKETS u through your Methodist Church or email MMS at mms@methodist.org.sg VOLUNTEER u Usher u Prayer Warrior u Ministry Team DONATE u to help us defray the cost of this event For more information, visit our Mission Rally website http://tinyurl.com/MissionsRally2014 or call MMS at 6478-4818.

Photos courtesy of the Methodist Missions Society

SAYS THE PRESIDENT WELFARE SERVICES

Crossing over the line

F

or three to four mornings a week, 14-year-old Ryan could not wake up in time for school.

This was because he was playing an online multiplayer role-playing game through the night.

He ate at his computer table, slept in the day, and gamed at night.

When his mother took his computer away, he screamed and yelled at her, threatening to hurt her.

Ryan was assessed by Covenant Family Service Centre (CFSC) staff to be a computer addict. A CFSC social worker prepared Ryan’s mother to protect herself when Ryan turned aggressive. The social worker also worked with Ryan’s teachers and mother to discourage Ryan’s reliance on the computer.

Cyber addiction is becoming so prevalent in Singapore that psychiatrists are pushing for medical authorities to formally recognise addiction to the Internet and digital devices as a disorder.

A 2010 study of 3,000 primary and secondary school students in Singapore found that 8.7 per cent of young people are “pathological gamers”, spending 37.5 hours a week on video games.

It is not difficult to determine if a person is addicted to the Internet or games. You can use this simple screening test: Does your child spend more than five hours a day or 50 hours a week playing computer games?

Does your child seem to neglect his studies, meals, sleep or personal hygiene so that he can play his games?

Does your child get irritable, angry, aggressive or violent every time you stop him from playing?

Does your child have difficulty stopping his game at the time that he is supposed to?

If you answer “yes” to these questions, it is very likely your child is addicted and you may want to seek professional assessment.

VISIT u www.internetaddiction.0fees.net for more comprehensive self-administered tests and other information on internet addiction.

CONTACT u your nearest Family Service Centre (FSC) if you need help for cyber addiction.

Methodist Welfare Services operates three FSCs: • Covenant Family Service Centre: 6282-8558 • Daybreak Family Service Centre: 6756-4995 • Tampines Family Service Centre: 6786-7366

This article is based on information from a website on Internet addiction, which was set up and managed by the late Sim Ngee Mong, former Senior Social Worker of the Methodist Welfare Services’ Covenant Family Service Centre for 25 years.

Ngee Mong was particularly passionate about helping clients who are addicted to gaming and the Internet. He passed away in June 2014, leaving behind his wife and two children.

Addiction issues: • Denial Many addicts find it very hard to stop their compulsion because they are in denial. It is an unconscious defence mechanism.

Other than denial, some common defences used by gaming addicts include justification (“What is so wrong about playing games?

Is there anything wrong when people watch TV?”) and intellectualisation (“Research shows that only a small number of people cannot control their gaming time. I can.”).

• Withdrawal A person who is addicted to gaming will generally be irritable if he is not playing his games.

When stopped from playing, he may show irritability, anger, aggression or even violence.

Treatment • Counselling Some counsellors are trained in addiction counselling, and some even specialise in particular areas of addiction. One should note that counselling alone can never be an effective method unless it is combined with some other form of treatment or support.

• Detox Detoxification or “going cold turkey” is generally used to treat forms of addictions such as alcoholism and drug abuse. But it is not generally recommended for cyber addiction for practical reasons, as computers are an integral part of our lives.

Cyber addicts need help in moderating their computer usage and not abstaining from it. In addition, parents may not be able to handle the withdrawal symptoms and consequences, which can include the child turning violent or running away from home.

• Tough love When a child is out of control, parents have to set boundaries and take action. Parents may need help to decide on the limits, anticipate consequences and seek support to carry out their plan.

This way, parents are no longer enablers of the addiction, but instead play an active role in denying resources to the child.

Prevention • Developing the alternative A basic behavioural principle in stopping an undesired behaviour is to promote an alternative behaviour.

If there are no fun real-life activities for a child, it is not hard to see why they turn to computer games which are most certainly fun. The earlier this is done, the better the alternative will work.

• Setting limits There are two parts to setting limits. The first has to do with the time given for computer games – for example, an hour a day is a reasonable and practical limit. The second part is enforcement. Setting limits is of no use if parents do not supervise their child and monitor what is happening at home. When limits are set, you can expect children to find ways to get around your limits.

• Supervision One way is to place the computer where the parent can see the monitor easily. Another way is to understand when the computer is needed for homework, and the time needed to complete it. Supervision is possible, provided that the parent makes an effort. n

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

|9

CHURCH PROFILE

Telok Ayer Chinese MC:

感谢主 Tuhan memberkati anda

A stalwart of dialect ministry

Gam Sia ZuGod Bless

Mr Koh Tiang Peng is a member of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.

F Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church 卫理公会直落亚逸礼拜堂 (Chinese Annual Conference) 235 Telok Ayer Street, S(068656) Sunday service: 8.30 am (English), 10.45 am (Youth), 1.30 pm (Hokkien), 4 pm (Bahasa Indonesia) Contact: 6324-4001 or www.tacmc.org.sg TA 2 Sanctuary 61 Wishart Road (Off Telok Blangah Road), S(098716) Sunday service: 9 am (Mandarin), 11 am (Hokkien) Contact: 6278-1323

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, there may be opportunity to forge crosschurch partnerships and collaborations.

PRAY for Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church u to persevere in ministry to the Hokkien-speaking u to sustain its missions focus u to have members willing to dedicate time, effort and money to ministries, especially social outreach

ounded in 1889, Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church (TACMC) celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. From its simple beginnings as a dispensary in the heart of the living quarters of Chinese migrants, it is today a church where approximately 1,200 people worship every week across two buildings and seven worship services.

On Sundays, there are about 380 worshippers at the Hokkien services, 400 at the Mandarin service, 300 at the English services, and 40 in a new Indonesian service. A further 80 attend a lunchtime worship service on Wednesdays.

The Rev Chua Ooi Suah, TACMC’s Pastor-in-Charge since January 2014, is no stranger to the church. He first began his pastoral ministry in TACMC from 1985-1986.

At present, he is most impressed by the ministry amongst the Hokkienspeaking, one that has been a constant in TACMC’s history since her founding. He remarked that when people think of TACMC, its Hokkien ministry comes to mind.

The Rev Chua also sees the church’s emphasis on missions as a great strength, as it dedicates over 10 per cent of its annual budget to missions. Mission efforts are wideranging in geography and scope.

They include countries in Southeast Asia, Nepal, and China. Be it

teaching English, housing less-privileged children, supporting missionaries or providing medical resources, TACMC’s mission efforts have grown over the years.

Another distinctive is the church’s deep appreciation for liturgy. Also noteworthy to the Rev Chua is the sense that TACMC is like a large family, where it is not uncommon to have three generations worshipping together in one service.

Naturally, shepherding TACMC is not without its challenges. The church is ageing at a quicker rate than the projection for Singapore as a whole – more than 50 per cent of the worshippers are over the age of 60 and about 30 senior members pass away annually.

A related challenge is that of encouraging more members to remain engaged in serving in the dialect ministry. Even as Singaporeans become less familiar with Hokkien, there are still many others who are most conversant in it – dialect ministry remains relevant for TACMC to persevere in.

Adding to the complexity of the pastoral team’s daily ministry is the need to remain as one church despite having multiple worship locations, services, and congregations whose members are comfortable in different languages.

Looking ahead, the Rev Chua hopes to continue the good work that TACMC is already engaged in.

The church’s vision is no different from our Lord Jesus’ charge to His disciples to make disciples in His Name. As the church continues to testify to God’s love in Singapore as well as overseas, the Rev Chua hopes that more members will be willing to give their resources, be it time, effort or money, to participate in the various ministries, especially those relating to social outreach. n

One of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church’s long-standing ministries has been its Hokkien service for residents living in Jalan Kukoh. After the service, the residents are given rice packets and bread.

Photos courtesy of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church

SOUNDINGS

E.T. Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College. He worships at the Fairfield Preaching Point in Woodlands.

W

hile searching for planets in the constellation Draco, researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics found a giant Earth-like planet with a diameter of nearly 28,900 km – more than twice the size of planet Earth. Using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, these scientists spotted this “Godzilla of Earths” – which they named Kepler 10c – circling its star once every 45 days.

It is too early to tell if this super Earth has the ability to support life. But its discovery has a significant implication for scientists: “The new finding bolsters the idea that old stars could host rocky Earths, giving astronomers a wider range of stars that may support Earth-like alien worlds to study.”

In February this year, NASA’s Kepler mission, launched in 2009, announced the confirmation of no less than 700 new exoplanets. One of them, Kepler 18f, is less than 500 light years away and is orbiting a red dwarf star (smaller and cooler than the Sun) within the habitable zone. It is estimated that there might be 17 billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way alone!

The discovery of Earth-like planets with conditions conducive for life has led some scientists and philosophers to speculate about the possible existence of extra-terrestrial life – even intelligent extra-terrestrial (ETI) life.

But the possible existence of ETIs has also generated wild speculations such as those associated with the UFO movement or New Age UFOism. The French sociologist Jean-Bruno Renard has shown how belief in extra-terrestrials has inspired speculations about salvation and utopia: “Belief in the imminent arrival of extraterrestrials on our planet is a fundamental characteristic of fly-saucer enthusiasts … Extraterrestrials landing here would not have as their sole mission the salvation of the elected few. They would also be here to set up a new era of peace and happiness on Earth.”

While such outlandish conjectures need not detain us, the vastness of our universe suggests that the existence of ETIs is not a theory that one could simply brush aside. The Sun that makes life possible on the planet we inhabit is but one among the 100 billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, which is just one among the billions of galaxies in our vast and unfathomable universe.

The possible existence of ETIs is therefore a subject of serious theological reflection. Theologians as diverse as Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Thomas O’Meara, Ted Peters and the Rev Prof David Wilkinson have written on this subject. In fact theological reflection on the possible existence of “other worlds” can be traced to the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and the Patristic theologian Origen (185-254).

Among the many perplexing questions that the possible existence of ETIs raises is the question concerning the fall. Was the whole universe compromised by the primordial fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve? Or did their rebellion only introduce chaos and decay to planet Earth?

Were there multiple falls, rebellions by aliens in other habitable planets not dissimilar to that of Adam and Eve? The Christian view that all of God’s creation is in need of redemption surely does not preclude this possibility.

If there are ETIs inhabiting other worlds in our universe, should there not also be multiple incarnations? Or is God’s salvific action in Jesus Christ on earth sufficient for the salvation of intelligent aliens as well, regardless of which planet they happen to inhabit? How then would the great Patristic dictum of “what is not assumed is not saved” apply to aliens whose genotypes are radically different from humans?

Theologians are divided on this issue. Paul Tillich and Karl Rahner maintain that it is not unreasonable to conceive of multiple incarnations resulting in different histories of salvation. In contrast, Wolfhart Pannenberg argues that one incarnation is enough for the entire cosmos, because the work of the incarnate Son on Earth extends to the furthest reaches of the universe.

Most theologians, however, believe that the existence of intelligent aliens will not cause humans to lose their special status before God. This is because the Bible teaches that God has created humans in his own image and likeness.

As the Rev Prof Wilkinson has perceptively put it: “Extraterrestrial intelligence does not pose a problem to the Christian belief that men and women are special in the eyes of God …” n

“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.

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 11

METHODIST SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Becoming God’s Instruments through MSM Dr Evelyn Lim is Vice-Principal (Musical Arts) at the Methodist School of Music and a member of Wesley Methodist Church.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Colossians 3:23

Called to serve

M

any of us long to serve God, but don’t know how. So, we rely on our natural gifts and expect God to work miracles and open the way.

Local churches rely heavily on volunteers to serve in the worship and music ministries as musicians, singers, worship leaders, etc. They are expected to adapt their skills, often with minimal training, to fit the church’s needs. This often results in a mismatch of skills, or worse – disillusionment. If we want to be instruments for God’s use, we must first be trained and shaped. We must give our best, even if it costs us time and effort.

Faith to serve In the past, besides enrolling full-time in a seminary, there was no dedicated resource in Singapore for individuals to be equipped for church music ministry.

In 1995, what was then the Council on Worship & Music of The Methodist Church in Singapore proposed setting up a music school.

The vision was to equip people for service in church music and worship ministries, and to reach out to the community through music education.

Stoked by the vision, the Methodist School of Music (MSM) opened its doors in January 1997 at the former Methodist Girls’ School at Mount Sophia, where it stayed until moving in 2001 to its current, more spacious premises at Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Mr Chow Kok Fong, Chairman of its Board of Management, explains: “The School was set up to support the Methodist Church in drawing on the richness of our Wesleyan heritage. In their ministry, the Wesley brothers were inspired to use the medium of hymns and spiritual songs to teach, edify and equip the body of Christ.”

Ms Mary Gan, the founding Principal (1997-2009), recalls: “The Dedication Service was held even before we had any students or classes because of the deep awareness that we could not work on our own… we wanted to dedicate the project to God first.”

faith. MSM offered weekly music lessons to people of all ages, as well as modular workshops in singing, conducting, children’s choir, and hymn-playing.

Tapping into the expertise of clergy and worship specialists, MSM has gone on to develop a range of programmes catering to specific ministry areas. (See sidebar.)

One such effort was when MSM collaborated with Trinity Theological College to offer a Master of Theological Studies in Church Music / Worship & Liturgy programme (20072011). Commenting on its impact on her ministry, alumna Ellena Yeo shared: “Through instilling the correct attitude (in biblical or theological or liturgical aspects)… through songs, music, and order of worship (including prayers, liturgical actions, congregational participation etc.), congregations realise they can have a deeper connection and experience with God in worship.”

Vision to serve With a few Christian teachers, 18 beginner-level students, and humble facilities, the School stepped out in

Dr Frank Senn from the United States of America conducting a Certificate in Christian Worship module on “The Sacraments: Baptism & Holy Communion” in 2013.

Now, MSM offers the Certificate in Christian Worship (CCW) programme, which is in its second year and incorporates theology, worship foundations and practicum in bite-sized modules. CCW classes are held every last weekend of the month from June to November.

Among the speakers and teachers for this year are Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup, Dr Lim Swee Hong, and the Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan.

MSM also has a regional reach beyond Singapore shores. The Biennial Worship Symposium, which began in 2006, is a three-day gathering of lay persons and clergy to share ideas and resources. Typically, over 100 participants from across Asia come together for panel discussions on ministry matters, skills training, samplings of different worship styles, and various workshops.

MSM’s major community efforts include choral outreach.

Having formerly amassed choirs for Aldersgate Hymn Festivals and the like, the School embarked on a bold, new project – to organise a platform for Methodists to grow and edify one another in the choral ministry. The Methodist Festival Choir was formed in July 2013, with over 80 pioneer members from various Methodist churches. It has so far presented two musical worship events and sung at other Methodist events; two more projects are scheduled for the second half of this year.

To widen its reach, MSM continually explores new avenues, such as the Contemporary Church Music programme, an Asian hymnal project, and preschool music education.

MSM Acting Principal, Dr Yeo Teck Beng, extends an invitation: “If there is a need for training or an issue in music and worship in our churches to be addressed, look no further. MSM exists primarily to equip the people of God to glorify and praise Him.”

496 Upper Bukit Timah Road #03-20 John Wesley Centre Singapore 678099 Tel: 6767-5258 Email: msm@msmusic.edu.sg Website: www.msmusic.edu.sg

Becoming God’s Instruments To the casual observer, MSM may seem like yet another commercial music school, offering music lessons to all and sundry. What is less apparent is its underlying goal – to nurture each person’s talent, in the hope that one day, God will use him or her as His instrument. Who knows whom God has ear-marked – perhaps a young child beginning his first piano lesson – to be a future pioneer and leader in church music?

A young piano student at her first performance.

If you have been called to be God’s instrument, don’t settle for what you can comfortably give. In Colossians 3:23, we are exhorted: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Be equipped and transformed, pursuing excellence in both music and ministry! n

Courses available General Music & Dance • Piano • Classical Organ • Strings (Violin / Viola / Cello) • Winds (Flute) • Ballet • Voice • Music Theory • Aural Training • Band Instruments – Drums / Guitar / Ukulele / Keyboard • For the Young – Little Mozarts / Young Organist Church Music & Worship • Basic Choral Conducting • Church Music Seminar • Organ • Hymn and service playing • Voice • Acoustic Guitar for Worship • Electric Guitar in Worship • Certificate in Christian Worship Join our ensembles • MSM Ringers (handbell) • Methodist Festival Choir (voice) Other resources • Studio rental (piano, organ, drum, dance) • MSM store (student books, examination papers, composers’ music pieces, instruments, cards, bookmarks, CDs, and cassettes) • Holiday music camps for students • Concerts, recitals, and competitions • MSM News (newsletter)

The Methodist Festival Choir during its Lenten presentation this year.

Photos courtesy of the Methodist School of Music METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 13

PAGE FROM THE PAST

The Rev Chew Hock Hin:

A great evangelist

Dr Tong Hoo Ing contributes to the Methodist Message as a volunteer writer. A retired neurologist, he also volunteers with the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home. He worships at Wesley Methodist Church.

“T

uhan”, “Shorga”, “Mengikut Isa”. These words reverberated through the sanctuary of the Malacca Straits Chinese Methodist Church (Malacca SCMC) as I sat listening to the Rev Chew Hock Hin preach to the Nonyas and Babas in the congregation. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, I had accompanied my parents to the Sunday Services in Malay as my mother could only understand Hokkien and Malay.

Those were the words which echoed in my mind as I reflected on the late Rev Chew’s preaching, which gave me my first impressions of him.

Mr Chew Hock Hin (CHH) was born on November 29, 1900, the youngest son and second-youngest child among eight brothers and four sisters. His father was a wealthy businessman and his parents were staunch Buddhists.

In his personal testimony “How I Became a Christian”, the Rev Chew wrote that as a child, he had been taught to say Buddhist prayers every day and was entrusted with the daily family worship which he carried out “conscientiously”. In spite of his parents’ praise for his religious zeal, he “felt an inexplicable inward discontent”.

One Sunday morning, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to Fort Canning Rise where he heard singing coming from the Anglo-Chinese School Chapel. Hesitant at first, he heard an “Inner Voice” urging him to enter the Chapel. There, he was given a copy of the New Testament. The moment his hands held the NT he felt extremely happy. “I was convinced that This Book was a Divine Book.”

After enduring persecution, including being driven out of his home by his father (subsequently to

At the memorial service, Bishop Emeritus Dr T. R. Doraisamy described the Rev Chew’s theology as a “dynamic Christology”. be reconciled), CHH was baptised by the Rev Goh Hood Keng. CHH gave up a lucrative career in commerce to become a full-time Methodist pastor.

In essence, he moved from his father’s business to his (heavenly) Father’s Business.

The Rev Chew had a great charismatic personality. He started preaching to the Peranakan in Singapore on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 1932; he also did pioneering work among the unevangelised Peranakans in the Geylang district and its surrounds. This laid the foundation for the Geylang Straits Chinese Methodist Church, the forerunner of Pentecost Methodist Church.

In 1934, the Rev Chew was appointed pastor of Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC). He brought many to accept Christ through his evangelistic outreach. He spearheaded the building project and raised funds from his congregation as well as from well-wishers from all walks of life in Singapore, Malaya and Medan. Through his faithful labour, PLMC was dedicated on May 8, 1938. A year later, he started a preaching point, the Malacca SCMC, under local preacher Mr Low Kway Song.

The Rev Chew was in great demand as a speaker by churches in South-East Asia. Even when he was on holiday with his family in Cameron Highlands, he held services in the social hall of the hotel. Also in Batavia (Jakarta), while on vacation, he preached and made converts of: An avowed anti-Christian, a dying woman whose life was prolonged, nonChristians at an elderly Christian’s wake, and the parents and siblings of a Christian girl who had passed away.

When World War II broke out, the Rev Chew braved shells and bombs to visit his parishioners. He accommodated some of their families in his home.

His younger son, Mr Chew Chin Jin, recounted how

his father helped evacuate 72 persons to a house in Trinity Theological College in Mount Sophia.

On February 15, 1942, the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Rev Chew held a Thanksgiving Service in the chapel of the house. While they were praying, Japanese bombs fell on the dormitories within the house. By God’s grace, not a single person was hurt as everyone was in the chapel praying.

Soon after the Japanese surrender, the Rev Chew continued his visits to Malacca to preach to his Peranakan flock. During one of these, he visited my father in the General Hospital. My father had been in coma for a week, suffering from meningitis. At that time, the only antibiotics available were penicillin and sulphonamides.

The Rev Chew knelt and prayed fervently and passionately for my father’s recovery. Before he left my father’s bedside, he planted in my family’s mind the following verse from Matthew 19:26 – “With God all things are possible.” That night, my father was observed to stir a little, and after a few days he regained consciousness. Within a month he recovered fully and went back to work.

The Rev Chew was called Home to be with his Lord on November 27, 1978. At the memorial service, Bishop Emeritus Dr T. R. Doraisamy described the Rev Chew’s theology as a “dynamic Christology”.

“It was event-centred,” he told mourners, “because the saving event of the birth, the life, the resurrection, the ascension and the presence were always emphasised. If there was a preacher filled with the Holy Spirit to the point of demonstrable manifestation it was he.” n

Photo courtesy of The Methodist Church Archives, Singapore METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 15

HYMNS & SONGS

You are the seed Judith Mosomos is Acting Director of Worship and Church Music at the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

I

f you look closely at the collection of hymns in The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH), a significant number come from many parts of the world other than the United States of America or Europe. It was the intention of the editorial committee to include hymns representing the ethnic diversity of The United Methodist Church.

The Hispanics are one of the groups represented. Among the Hispanic hymns are those written by Cesário Gabaráin (April 30, 1936 – April 20, 1991), a 20th century Spanish priest and composer of liturgical hymns. His contributions to the UMH are hymns 305, 344, 583 and 637. His compositions are widely sung in Latin America.

His ministry involved being a chaplain in a college, in a nursing home, and serving as a parish priest. He was also an athlete by which he ministered to cyclists who participated in Tour de France.

It was his interaction with people from all walks of life that inspired him to write these hymns. His texts speak of the feelings, humility and life of these people. When writing his songs he kept in mind that they had to be orejable or easily understood, so everyone could sing.

For example, UMH 583 “Soi la semilla” (“You are the seed”, composed in 1979) is one accessible hymn that we can use during ordination, commissioning seminarians or missionaries, Missions Sunday, or on a regular Sunday as the Sending forth hymn. In this hymn, Gabaráin highlights the message of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) by using it as the hymn’s refrain, calling us to be witnesses of Christ our Lord.

Go, my friends, go to the world, proclaiming love to all, messengers of my forgiving peace, eternal love.

Be, my friends, a loyal witness, from the dead I arose; “Lo, I’ll be with you forever, till the end of the world.”

In the process of singing or reading the text, one realises that these allusions are ascribed to the singer or reader. The composer hopes that they will thus realise their mission. The richness of the text leads us to its profound implication.

Gabaráin continues the second stanza with the same technique: more biblical allusions are used and ascribed to the singers.

You are the flame that will lighten the dark, (John 1:5) sending sparkles of hope, faith, and love; you are the shepherds to lead the whole world (1 Peter 5:2) through valleys and pastures of peace.

You are the friends that I chose for myself, (John 15:16) the word that I want to proclaim.

You are the new kingdom built on a rock (Matthew 16:18) where justice and truth always reign.

Gabaráin takes biblical allusions and adeptly uses them to craft the stanzas. For example, stanza one has the following references: You are the seed that will grow a new sprout; (Matthew 13:31) you’re a star that will shine in the night; (Daniel 12:3) you are the yeast and a small grain of salt, (Leviticus 2) a beacon to glow in the dark.

You are the dawn that will bring a new day; (Luke 1:78) you’re the wheat that will bear golden grain; (John 12:24-26) you are a sting and a soft, gentle touch, my witnesses wher-e’er you go.

Gabaráin encourages us to maintain a posture of hope, remain loyal to Christ, and proclaim God’s love to the world.

The hymn in its lively tune calls out a challenge.

Can we be the seed? The star? The yeast? Can we be the wheat? Can we be courageous to “sting”, but at the same time be gentle in our witness?

“Go, my friends …” n

In the third stanza, Gabaráin is confident that good will result when we live as what we “are”, as emphasised in the first two stanzas.

You are the life that will nurture the plant; you’re the waves in a turbulent sea; yesterday’s yeast is beginning to rise, a new loaf of bread it will yield.

There is no place for a city to hide, nor a mountain can cover its might; may your good deeds show a world in despair a path that will lead all to God.

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 17

HOME

Expect great things from God Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon was Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 to 2012. Currently retired, he now keeps busy with an active itinerant ministry speaking and teaching in Singapore and overseas.

“E

xpect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” William Carey’s inspiring words have been used by generations of Christians to spur one another to action. And rightly so, for there is much truth in Carey’s words.

But the words, if used unthinkingly as a superficial slogan, may lead to some pitfalls that Christians must beware. In this article, we will look at the sentence “Expect great things from God”, while a subsequent article will explore the other sentence.

We should have great expectations of God because God is indeed great. The problem begins when we expect the wrong kinds of things or when our expectations are not actually great. Take, for instance, the Jews at the time of Christ who expected the Messiah that God would send. When they saw Jesus’s amazing ministry, they thought that the Messiah had come. But they were thinking of a political Messiah who would free them from the Roman yoke.

Some of them tried to force Jesus to become their Messiah king. However, Jesus rejected their populist but mistaken plan (Jn 6:15). They expected a victorious military Messiah but failed to read in Scripture that the true Messiah would be the Suffering Servant (Ps 22; Isa 53). They expected the greatness of the sword but Jesus came with the splendour of the cross. In their spiritual blindness, they rejected the majesty of the true Messiah by clinging to their small imagined saviour.

The greatness of God’s gifts are not necessarily measured in “super” and “mega” terms but may be seen when a child finds a loving hand to hold in a world full of harsh abusive and refusing hands (Mk 10:13-16).

Our expectations of God are great when they are connected with the eternal. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard reminds us that all temporal things crumble under the weight of the eternal. Survey all that is around, fast forward what you see, and witness how eternity turns them into dust. This biblical wisdom is needed to examine our expectations.

Secondly, our expectations are great when they have to do with the internal, for the eternal and internal are connected.

It is easy to expect the wrong kind of greatness. Simon the Sorcerer saw the power of the Holy Spirit exhibited in the ministry of Peter and John, and wanted a piece of the action. He offered to pay for the same power. But Peter rebuked him sharply, revealing the man’s inner rottenness and bondage (Acts 8:18-23). Simon expected the wrong kind of power – spiritual fireworks that amuse rather than the power that saves and transforms.

Some want miracles for personal amusement, but God is not in the business of entertaining us with His power (Mt 12:38-39). His power consistently changes character more than circumstances. He will not hold back pain, suffering and discipline to transform us and make us truly His children (Rom 5:3-4; Heb 12:10-11).

So what are you expecting from God? C. S. Lewis wrote about how God defies our puny expectations: “Imagine yourself as a living house.

God comes in to rebuild that house.

At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that

those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to?

“The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

Surely God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). He defies our attempts to cut Him down to our size to fit into our limited horizons and individualistic concerns and desires.

He urges us to look to Christ, in whom His power was greatly at work, raising Him from death and elevating Him to the heavenly throne (Eph 1:19-21).

We can expect that same power in our lives (Eph 2:6-7). Our expectations would be great only if they are focused on Christ and the salvation He has self-sacrificially won for us. We will then expect great things from God that have to do with the eternal and the internal. n

The greatness of God’s gifts are not necessarily measured in “super” and “mega” terms but may be seen when a child finds a loving hand to hold in a world full of harsh abusive and refusing hands.

Mark 10:13-16

HOME HOSPICE CARE

‘ There is so much more to be done.’

– Dame Cicely Saunders

Christina Stanley is Editor of the Methodist Message and wrote this article with valuable input from the Singapore Hospice Council, and Agape Methodist Hospice.

A

s Christians, death is merely a transition from the earthly to the heavenly realm. Yet, what about the lead-up to it – the pain, the suffering, and living with the debilitating effects of chronic illness? What options do we have, beyond medical treatment, to ensure that we can continue to “live well before dying?”

In Singapore, there are now eight organisations providing either Day, Home and/or In-Patient Hospice care in Singapore under the umbrella of the Singapore Hospice Council (www.singaporehospice. org.sg). Receiving such care does not necessarily mean that the patient is moving towards death.

There have been cases where the patient’s condition stabilises, and they go on to live normal lives for some years.

Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement, was the inspiration for hospice and palliative movements around the world.

She refused to accept the dreaded words: “There is nothing more to be done.” She founded St Christopher’s Hospice in 1967 in Great Britain, as the first hospice linking expert pain and symptom control, compassionate care, teaching and clinical research.

An Anglican, and one who wore her faith on her sleeve, she revolutionised the way a society cares for the ill, dying and bereaved. Her watchword at St Christopher’s was “there is so much more to be done”.

Mr Lee Poh Wah of Lien Foundation, a key advocate and supporter of palliative care in Singapore, put it in a nutshell: “Talking about death won’t kill you. Not talking about death won’t make it go away. Talking about death means talking about life.”

Agape Methodist Hospice (Homecare), a community outreach of the Methodist Welfare Services, is one of six home hospice care providers in Singapore – the others are HCA Hospice Care, Assisi Hospice, Metta Hospice Care, Singapore

“We are a part of the Methodist Church, and are true to our Methodist roots. Caring for the sick and terminally ill are in accordance with the teachings of Christ. While our volunteers are largely Methodists, we’re open to all others who have the same compassion for our care-receivers.

I have personally felt the love of Christ through this ministry. Will you walk with us in this ministry?”

Mr Chan Wing Leong, Chairman, Agape Methodist Hospice

Cancer Society and Dover Park Hospice, which just started a small pilot home hospice programme.

So what do we mean when we refer to hospice or palliative care? Are they inter-changeable terms? Let’s look at this.

Hospice care is a comprehensive set of services established to provide for the physical, psychosocial, spiritual and emotional needs of a terminally-ill patient.

Palliative care is patient and family-centred care that optimises the quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. This is given to all patients with advanced life-limiting or debilitating illnesses like cancer, organ failure (liver, kidney, heart) or stroke, but may not necessarily be in the terminal stage yet.

So, all hospice care is palliative care, but not all palliative care is hospice care.

“Palliative care is the closest to the calling of medicine,” said Dr Benjamin Tan, Acting Head of Agape Methodist Hospice (HomeCare).

“We can’t cure all, but we can always comfort. It is not a discipline of futility and abandonment, it is about placing the patient at the centre of whatever we do – be it medical, psychological or social interventions.”

A loved one who may have one year or less to live can benefit from home hospice care for maximum symptom management and holistic support.

Typically, home hospice care will include symptom control advice, caregiver support and psychosocial support. All services for home hospice care are free of charge.

“We may be one of the smallest home hospice care providers in Singapore, but our aspirations are big,” said Dr Tan. “Our team of four nurses and two doctors look after close to 100 active patients, and we have the capacity to take in many more patients requiring this service.

Continued on page 20...

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 19

HOME HOSPICE CARE

UNITY IN SPIRIT – SACS

A Beacon of Light and

... continued from page 19

“Knowing that our team made a difference in the quality of life of a patient in his last days is what drives us. Simple gestures like hand-holding or giving the patient undivided attention can mean a lot.” n

Will You Volunteer?

If you’re 18 and above, compassionate, patient, nonjudgemental, understanding and do not impose your beliefs on patients and carers, Agape Methodist Hospice (Homecare) would like to invite you to consider, even if you have no prior experience: ✓ Setting aside about three hours every few months ✓ Accompanying our patients to and from hospital clinics, with travel expenses reimbursed Many of our patients are frail, and family members may be unavailable to bring them for medical appointments due to work commitments. For further enquiries, please call our Medical Social Worker, Ms Edlin Hu, at 6435-0270.

“Volunteers are pivotal to our service in different capacities – as befrienders and companions, or running errands for patients, providing a listening ear and even helping with the house-keeping, for those patients living on their own. New volunteers will always be accompanied by senior volunteers for the first few home visits.”

The Methodist Message seeks to raise awareness of the spectrum of needs, healthcare and social welfare services that are available in Singapore run by various Christian faith-based organisations.

In this issue, we feature the Singapore Anglican Community Services.

Children from troubled homes reading storybooks together at the SACS Family Care Centre.

Ms Edlin Hu, Medical Social Worker, Agape Methodist Hospice With grateful thanks to the Singapore Hospice Council for granting us permission to use extracts from past issues of their quarterly magazine, Hospice Link, for the above article.

Photos courtesy of Singapore Anglican Community Services

Chia Hui Jun is Editorial Executive of the Methodist Message and worships at Foochow Methodist Church. She put this article together with valuable input from Ms Lucilla Teoh, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, Singapore Anglican Community Services.

W

hen Mr Frederick Han had a schizophrenic relapse, he heard voices telling him to harass his neighbours. He was arrested for breaking window panes and walking around the building holding knives. He was then referred to Simei Care Centre (SCC) after treatment at the Institute of Mental Health. There, he took part in outings and activities, learnt to make life goals, and even took NITEC courses provided by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). He eventually found a stable job as a security guard and even met his wife through one of his jobs.

People with psychiatric illnesses can receive such support from various mental health agencies such as SCC, Hougang Care Centre (HCC), Community Rehabilitation and Support Services and Employment Support Services, which are agencies under the umbrella of the Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS).

SACS began in the 1950s when Mrs Francis Thomas, a nurse and also the wife of the then Principal of St. Andrew’s School, set up a clinic to serve villagers in the Potong Pasir area.

Counselling for youths was launched in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, services for the disadvantaged and psychiatric rehabilitation were made available, inspired and guided by Jesus’ commandment to “love your neighbour as yourself ” (Matt 22:39).

Residential and Day Rehabilitation Centres SACS’ Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery Services provide an almost

Hope seamless continuum of step-down care, as stabilised patients from acute hospitals such as the Institute of Mental Health are referred to the residential and day rehabilitation programmes at SCC or HCC. A typical day sees staff volunteers and members working together in the areas of education, food service, employment, administration and communication skills. The focus is on their talents and abilities, rather than their illnesses.

Members can be trained in preparing and serving food; receive help in job hunting and preparing for job interviews; learn housekeeping and cleaning the premises; and complete administrative duties.

They can take part in programmes such as line dancing, conversational English sessions, art therapy, drama, karaoke, movie screening and outings, fitness workouts and enrichment classes on nutrition. Through social enterprises created and operated in-house, members can showcase their products to the community.

Like Frederick, members learn vocational, social and life skills, and independent living. They are also medically reviewed, and at the same time, learn illness management through the clinical and rehabilitation services. Case workers also help caregivers to ensure they have the necessary assistance to care for their loved ones. To tide them over, residents have a temporary shelter while they learn to re-integrate into the community.

Community Rehabilitation and Support Services (CRSS) Under the CRSS programme, mobile teams of mental health professionals provide counselling, training and support for clients and their caregivers in their homes to help them reintegrate into the community and to be meaningfully engaged in work or other activities.

Day activities are conducted in their centres located in Bukit Batok, Pasir Ris and Yishun. The mobile teams also engage in outreach projects to raise awareness of mental health issues and to de-stigmatise mental illness.

Employment Support Services The Employment Support Services help their members gain meaningful employment, since work improves one’s confidence, self-worth, financial independence and relationships.

Employment Specialists take note of each member’s history and job preferences, and provide ongoing support for the search, application, hire and sustaining of a job. Training is provided beforehand in career guidance, nurturing and employability skills.

Many members have been employed as service and sales workers, clerical workers, and even educators. Thereafter, they can share their challenges and joys at the peer support meetings where themed discussions on stress management, work issues and positive psychology are facilitated.

An outreach event was held at Jurong Spring Community Club to celebrate World Mental Health Day last year.

“We want to… mediate compassionate love for our clients and their family, and exercise self-control and commitment to justice and compassion.

Our Ministry of Good Works ultimately promotes the well-being of our society.

This is SACS’ calling.”

Other Services The SACS also provides the following services to meet the diverse needs of different groups: • SACS Family Care Centre provides safe accommodation and supportive services for women and their children who are homeless or victims of family violence.

• CITY (“Character in the Young”) Community Services befriend and provide help with homework for primary school children from low-income families, and work in partnership with schools and parents.

• PEACE-Connect is a neighborhood programme that seeks to promote a purposeful community life among elderly residents in Kampong Glam through inter-generational activities, mutual group support and social eldercare.

• Mission to Seafarers provides pastoral care, family liaison, advocacy, and support for sailors.

SACS President, the Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah spoke of their holistic approach to minister to the body, mind and spirit: “We want to… mediate compassionate love for our clients and their family, and exercise self-control and commitment to justice and compassion. Our Ministry of Good Works ultimately promotes the well-being of our society. This is SACS’ calling.” n

HELP THE DAY REHAB CENTRES:

u Teach their clients a skill or help with their continuing education. u Raise funds through your workplace, church, family or other

personal contacts. u Advocate by educating the public on needs within the community. u By buying items produced by their clients through their social enterprises.

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 21

POEMS

Cancer Is So Limited

Robert L. Lynn has penned over 500 poems and won many poetry awards. He wrote this, his most famous poem, for a dear Christian friend who was sentenced to death by cancer. Typically the poem elicits 170,000,000 hits on the internet. See him reading his poetry at www.robertllynn.com

They’ve sentenced you with invisible cells that secret themselves deep in body recesses and multiply: lymphatic assault on vital functions.

Can cancer conquer you?

I doubt it, for the strengths I see in you have nothing to do with cells and blood and muscle.

For cancer is so limited— It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

It cannot eat away peace.

It cannot destroy confidence.

It cannot kill friendship.

It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot silence courage.

It cannot invade the soul.

It cannot reduce eternal life.

It cannot quench the spirit.

It cannot cancel Resurrection.

Can cancer conquer you?

I doubt it, for the strengths I see in you have nothing to do with cells and blood and muscle.

Used by permission of Robert L. Lynn, Copyright 2007, from Cancer Is So Limited and Other Poems of Faith, 2013, by Amazon Books.

August SIGNING UP FOR ANGEL TREE HAMPER PROJECT

Until Aug 30 (Saturday)

Every year before Christmas, volunteers help to deliver heartfelt, handwritten letters of remorse, love and longing by prison inmates to their loved ones, along with a hamper.

Register with your church or group to deliver hampers during November and December, to reach out to these hurting families in love and restoration. You can also bless them by sponsoring the cost of hampers ($70 per hamper).

Organised by Prison Fellowship Singapore. Register by Aug 30.

aug

30

For more info, visit pfs.org.sg/what-we-do/angel-tree, email cecillehenares@pfs.org.sg, or call 6475-6136.

ATTENDING MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL CELEBRATION 中秋庆祝晚会

Sep 6 (Saturday), 4 pm 九月六日，下午四点 TA2 Sanctuary, 61 Wishart Road

Invite your friends and relatives to listen to veteran comedian Mr Moses Lim share his testimony at the Mid-autumn Festival Celebrations. 请邀请你的亲友来参加中秋庆祝晚会，艺人林益民弟兄将分享见证。 Organised by Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church卫理公会直落亚逸礼拜堂.

sep

6

For more info, please call 6278-1323 or 6324-4001.

REGISTERING FOR THE FAITH AT HOME SEMINAR FOR DADS

Sep 13 (Saturday), 8 am – 12.30 pm

Toa Payoh Methodist Church, 480 Lorong 2 Toa Payoh Register for this seminar to equip yourself with practical, age-appropriate tools in sharing faith with your children, as the Rev Mark Holmen shows you how to instil a vibrant faith in your children’s lives.

Organised by Focus on the Family. Fee: $35 per person, group rates of $25 per person in group of 4.

sep

13

For more info, visit www.family.org.sg/faithathome or email Xingqi.Lu@family.org.sg

SIGNING UP EARLY FOR THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT SINGAPORE

Oct 22-23 (Wednesday-Thursday), 9 am – 5.30 pm

Bethel Assembly of God Church, 81 Aljunied Avenue 2, Geylang East Central The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) is a two-day event, featuring video-cast talks on leadership by a diverse lineup of speakers such as: Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church; Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church and founder of the Passion Movement; Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and Chairman of Good 360; and Susan Cain, best-selling author and viral TED speaker on The Power of Introverts.

A key feature of the GLS is the facilitated process time that helps participants turn good intentions into positive action. Sign up, and be inspired to “Lead where you are”!

Organised by The Global Leadership Summit Singapore. Super Early Bird rates (before Aug 31): $120 per person, group rates of $100 per person in group of 4. After Sep 30, the rates will be $200 and $165 respectively.

For more info, visit www.glssingapore.org, email info@glssingapore.org, or call 8418-3306.

oct

22-23

A Chinese track will be held Jan 30-31, 2015. Details to come.

METHODIST MESSAGE • AUG 2014

| 23

THINK

Suicide: a sin or an illness?

Tony Ting is a counselling psychologist at Wesley Methodist Church. He is married to Camay Lau, and they worship at Wesley Methodist Church.

“I

s suicide a sin, and if so, is it pardonable?” – this is a question posed to me in my work, and which is very difficult to address. Even more so when it comes from the grieving loved ones of a Christian who had died by suicide.

Christians have in fact, throughout the history of the church, grappled with this question.

The teaching of suicide as a sin can be traced to Augustine of Hippo (354–430) who interpreted the commandment “Thou shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13, KJV) to include the killing of oneself.

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) went a step further by declaring that suicide is an act against God since life is from God, and therefore only God has the right to determine when a person should die (Job 14:5). He argues that “… to bring death upon oneself in order to escape the other afflictions of this life is to adopt a greater evil in order to avoid a lesser. Furthermore the ‘great sin of suicide’ cannot be forgiven because the deceased person deprives himself of ‘the time needful for repentance’. ” Others have joined the great suicide debate with a counterview, notably John Donne (1572–1631) who argues that suicide is not necessarily sinful since there is no biblical condemnation of it, and that the Bible teaches that killing is acceptable in certain circumstances such as war, capital punishment and martyrdom.

Today, our perception and understanding of suicide have changed. Suicide which began as a sin and branded a crime in most societies is now viewed by many as a manifestation of mental illness.

While most people who have a mental illness are not suicidal, studies have shown that as high as 90 per cent of those who died by suicide suffered from one or more mental illnesses at the time of their death. By associating suicide with mental illness, the stigma of suicide is diminished and the suicidal person is absolved from the responsibility of his action.

So is suicide a sin or an illness?

My personal view is that the taking of one’s life is morally wrong given the sacrosanct nature of human life (Genesis 1:26; 2:7) and God’s sovereignty over life and death (Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:25, 26).

While most people who have a mental illness are not suicidal, studies have shown that as high as 90 per cent of those who died by suicide suffered from one or more mental illnesses at the time of their death.

However, given the strong correlation between mental illness and suicide, the degree of volitional responsibility may not be clear. What is clear, however, is that suicide is not the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:3132) and neither can it invalidate the saving grace of Jesus (Romans 10:13; John 10:27–30).

Any discussion on suicide would be incomplete without an affirmation that it is our moral duty as a Church to create a caring and supportive environment to help those suffering from mental health and other problems, in particular those at risk of suicide, and families who suffered from the loss of a loved one through suicide.

In my work with people in bereavement, I find the grieving process for survivors of a suicide to be the most intense and complicated. Death due to illness or even accident is often easier to accept than death due to suicide. The pain that drives one to suicide becomes the pain of those who are left behind. In addition, survivors have to agonise over the perceived stigma and a gamut of overwhelming feelings such as shame, guilt, betrayal and abandonment. But, of all

these, the lingering concern about the salvation of their departed one remains the most distressing.

The passage that I often use to help suicide survivors in their journey through grief find comfort and hope is Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And if I may add, not even death by suicide! n