Vol 119 No 9 • SEP 2017
inside
this issue...
ISSN 0129-6868 MCI (P) 117/11/2016
Hair for Hope 2017 Sharing hope through small acts
WOW MOM ministry Practical and spiritual support for mothers
page 8
pages 12-13
message.methodist.org.sg
In Memoriam The Rev Dr J. Daniel page 17
HOME
Why doesn’t God keep us from hardships like a good father would? Ajith Fernando serves as Teaching Director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka, having served as its National Director for 35 years. He and his wife Nelun are parents of two married children and grandparents of three grandsons. Among his 17 books is The Family Life of a Christian Leader (Crossway).
We parents act according to our limited knowledge and try to shield our children from trouble. But God wants to do a deeper work in our lives. He wants us to be joyous, contented individuals.
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friend asked me an interesting question recently. He said that we parents usually warn our children when we know they are going to face a problem or crisis. Then why does God not warn His children of impending problems and dangers? He does warn us sometimes through different means like a prophecy, the words of another person, listening to a message or reading the Word. But that is not His usual method. Often, trials hit us out of Continued on page 20...
Picture by imtmphoto/Bigstock.com
COMING UP
Reaching vulnerable children and youth in Singapore
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Rich Church in a Poor World 7 Sep 2017 (Thursday), 7.30-9.30 p.m. Bible House, 7 Armenian Street S(179932), Level 4 Seminar Rooms Free admission, but registration is required by 6 Sep at www.bible.org.sg/richchurch For more information, email children.min@bible.org.sg or call 6304-3773. Jointly organised by The Bible Society® of Singapore’s Next Gen Ministry, Sower Institute for Biblical Discipleship, and Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore.
n the recent National Children and Youth Survey, one critical ministry gap was for the Church to do more to minister to disadvantaged youth and children. The Church is indeed called to serve the “least of these”, and the church in Singapore is especially well-equipped to reach out to them and start bridging the gap. At the upcoming ‘Rich Church in a Poor World’ session at Bible House on 7 Sep 2017, join keynote speaker Mr Joseph Chean and panellists from Home for Good SG, Tamar Village, and Faith Methodist Church, as they discuss the many avenues the Church can take to minister to vulnerable children and youth in Singapore. The evening will begin with a keynote presentation by Joseph, who leads YWAM Singapore, a community of more than 80 missionaries from 16 nations. He joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 1997, and served in various leadership roles before assuming the role of National Director of YWAM Singapore in 2012. After three years of listening, prayer, discussion, and planning, the Mercy Centre — a part of the ministry of YWAM Singapore – was founded in November 2013 to reach out to the lost and marginalised in our community, based on the mandate in Isaiah 61:1-3. He will be joined by panellists Ms Vivienne Ng from Home for Good SG, Ms Mercy Ho and Ms Rachel Seah from Tamar Village Singapore, and Ms Pearly Sim from Faith Methodist Church. They will give short presentations or testimonies regarding their areas of work from three perspectives: homebased and/or fostering, para-church, and local church-based. There will be a discussion with all panellists, and opportunities for the audience to ask questions. Come and gain insights on what more can be done for vulnerable children and youth in our midst! n
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
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BISHOP’S MESSAGE
Faith and family life 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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aul the Apostle was more than just a missionary and preacher, having founded churches and being the principal theologian of the early Christian Church; he was also a pragmatist. The influence of his teachings on marriage, the family, interpersonal relationships, and their practical application has been profound and far-reaching. He taught that a Christian’s daily lifestyle has to be consistent with his faith. Paul’s teachings on family life in Ephesians Chapters 5-6, Colossians Chapter 3, 1 Timothy, and Titus emphasise its importance as a testimony of our Christian faith, and it has to be consistent both within and without. When a Christian speaks of loving, it has to first be practiced at home. Likewise, when Christians talk of patience and showing compassion, it is not only about the way we relate to others in church and the community; it is also about how we ought to be treating our own family. The Bible gives equal importance to wholesome family life and a Christian’s spiritual maturity, as it says, “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1Timothy 3:5) Many would consider the traditional image of an ideal family to be one with loving parents and filial children. While it is a great blessing and joy when Christian couples and parents remain loving and devoted for life, and the children are good Christian examples as they love and worship God, care for others, and are successful in their studies or careers, this should not be the be-all and end-all. We should not assume that this is the model family
demanded of all Christians, nor should we consider it the only kind of family that pleases God and is blessed by Him. After all, we are living in very complex and turbulent times. Christians, like the rest of the world, are also grappling with the many complicated problems and issues that confront humanity today – having to also face disruptions and influence from others. However, we must not let negative life experiences or our being in imperfect relationships, marriages, and families affect our mark as Christ’s disciples and witnesses. God’s will and purpose for us is very clear, and His desire is for us to live pure and holy lives. It is therefore the responsibility and mission of every family member to help build a healthy marriage and home, no matter what that looks like in their particular circumstances, seeking to be a family that pleases God, one that will be blessed for generations. n Our Social Principles in The Book of Discipline include a section titled ‘Sharing God’s Love in the Family’ (¶84), which contains many basic principles and practices of building healthy, happy families.
Picture by Tom Wang/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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CHURCH PROFILE
Kampong Kapor MC:
‘In and Involved’ in our community
Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (Trinity Annual Conference) 1 Kampong Kapor Road, Singapore 208673
The Rev Kenneth Huang is Pastor-in-Charge of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
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ampong Kapor Methodist Church (KKMC), the fourth-oldest Methodist church in Singapore, was founded on 25 Jan 1894 by the Rev William Shellabear and Miss Sophia Blackmore. It held worship services conducted in the PeranakanMalay language at a building at 155 Middle Road. The church, which moved to 1 Kampong Kapor Road in 1930 where it stands today, is a multigenerational, family-oriented church with more than 1,100 members. Presently, six worship services are held on Sundays, conducted in the four commonlyspoken languages of Singapore – English, Malay (Peranakan), Mandarin, and Tamil. Some of the more unique or key ministries of our church include: ➢ Conducting two out of six worship services where our pipe organ, installed in 1937 and the only one in a Methodist church in Singapore, is played in support; ➢ Having good and strong choirs (both adult and/or children) supporting the same worship services; ➢ Engaging in services or programmes, anchored by our church members and friends, that we hope will be a blessing to the community (see next paragraph for more details); ➢ Supporting 26 missionaries across the world, including in Singapore; ➢ Encouraging respectful interaction of our members with other faith communities as part of our responsibility as fellow citizens of Singapore; ➢ Having LifeGroups across the four language congregations (including one Peranakan Bible study) which help our church be more relevant to Singaporean society.
KKMC worshipping God in full voice: pipe organ, choirs, and congregation.
Besides sponsoring two Boys’ Brigade Companies and one Girls’ Brigade Company, and running Alpha courses for a number of years, the church is actively involved with the community by running a kindergarten since the early 1960s, a homework centre (providing a safe place for children to study), a seniors’ corner for residents, as well as Basic Work English classes for migrant workers. We also feed the community once a month with the distribution of food packets to the hungry as they pass by our church, and visit the residents of our community at least twice a year to bless them and find out how they are doing. Finally, the church is also associated with two Family Service Centres (St George’s and Whampoa areas), and partners the Kampong Glam Residents’ Committee in running useful programmes for residents. Our challenges are in learning how best to be relevant in our ministry to the community around our church, and helping our church members really grow in their trust in God and in the knowledge of Christian beliefs, recognising that we live in a world where values are deemed relative, instead of absolute. We want to be a church that truly worships God, is faithful to the Good News of Jesus Christ, is grounded in the Word of God, is caringly relevant to the community it is based in, and is actively doing our part in reaching and blessing peoples of other nations. Hence, our theme for 2016 to 2018 is “IN & INVOLVED – about the church, along the streets, and across the seas”, which will lead up to our church’s 125th Anniversary in 2019. When I became Pastor-in-Charge in 2012, I knew a little about KKMC
Sunday Service: 8 a.m., 9.30 a.m., and 11.30 a.m. English (Sanctuary); 11 a.m. Peranakan (Chapel); 2 p.m. Mandarin (Sanctuary); 5.30 p.m. Tamil (Sanctuary) Contact us: www.kkmc.org.sg, mailbox@kkmc.org.sg, www.facebook.com/ kampongkapormethodistchurch or 6293-7997 but not its specific ministries. Three words have since become closely identified with our congregation – “In and Involved”. We want all or nearly all of our congregation members and friends to give themselves fully in service to God and man, for nothing could be more important! And so, I pray for KKMC, as Moses prayed in his time as recorded in Psalm 90:17 (NIV): “May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.” 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 Kampong Kapor Methodist Church
SAYS THE TRAC PRESIDENT
Honouring parents and God? The Rev Dr Gordon Wong was re-elected President of Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) in 2016 for a second quadrennial term, but is primarily grateful to God for the gift of his wife Lai Foon and two children Deborah and Jeremy.
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he Bible tells Christians to honour their parents. It is one of the Ten Commandments. And yet, many Asians think Christianity is a religion that teaches children to disrespect their parents and ancestors! I wonder why that is? Jesus encountered a similar problem in His day. He said to the Pharisees (Mark 7:9-13, NIV):
“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honour your father and mother,’ … But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is … devoted to God – then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
to learn the meticulous customs of keeping the altar clean and putting everything in its proper place. Bessie was unsure what to do as a Christian. Some of her church friends had said that she should politely decline as this would go against her devotion to the Christian God. Bessie’s pastor advised her to ask God what was the best way to express honour and respect for her mother. Bessie prayed about this, and decided to honour God, not by challenging her mother, but by honouring her wish to learn how to properly maintain the ancestral altar according to her mother’s instructions. Bessie’s church friends were appalled at her decision. How could a faithful Christian be actively involved in preparing an ancestral altar table? They urged Bessie to stand up and speak up to her mother so that she would destroy the altar and idols. Bessie’s mother was grateful for Bessie’s filial love. And soon her mother was happy to let Bessie read the Bible aloud to her and pray for her every day in the name of Jesus. She wanted to know more about the God who had taught her daughter to be a good filial child. Six months later, Bessie’s mother chose to become a devout follower of Jesus Christ, and soon after decided on her own to stop the food offerings and remove the altar. May God forgive us, and save us from being Pharisees who use the Lord’s name in vain to justify actions and attitudes which dishonour parents and God. n
Do we “do many things like that”? Bessie sought her pastor’s counsel. Bessie’s mother had requested Bessie’s help in maintaining the family’s ancestral altar table. Her mother was getting older and she asked for Bessie’s help to purchase the necessary items for the altar, and
Picture by szefei/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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YOU & YOUR FAMILY
Starved of affection 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 United Nations estimated that as of 2016, there are 795 million people facing hunger in the world. This fact is hard to comprehend, and even harder to accept in a world which has the capacity of producing enough food to feed itself and where food waste is a growing problem with many countries. Even though the majority of incidence of malnourishment is located in developing countries, we too have our hungry in developed economies like Singapore. Whilst we do have some who need food assistance in order to stave off poor nutrition in our urban island city, there are many, many more who are starved of love from another human being. Is it right to accord the need for love the same level of import as the need for food? To answer this, let us look at the research by Harry Harlow in the 1950s on Maternal Deprivation. In the study, baby rhesus macaque monkeys were taken away from their mothers and raised by researchers. The baby monkeys were then exposed to two kinds of artificial ‘mothers’. One kind of ‘mother’ monkeys were constructed of wire frames with feeding tubes while the other kind had their wire frames covered with cloth but did not have any feeding tubes.
Over time, researchers noticed that the baby monkeys chose to spend more time with the cloth-covered ‘mothers’ even though they were receiving no physical nourishment from it. The researchers surmised that the monkeys craved for contact, and perhaps comfort, from these ‘mothers’. Significantly, the monkeys raised entirely with wire-frame mothers with feeding tubes did not appear to thrive despite having ready access to a food source. What got me thinking about this topic was my meeting two couples who came for counselling. Both couples had been together for about 15 years and have children of their own. In both cases, the wives were so dissatisfied with their marriages that they were considering divorce. However, unlike other couples who are at the point of divorce, there was no threat from extramarital affairs, violence and abusive behaviours, or addictions. In fact, their husbands were at a loss as to the reason behind their spouses’ unhappiness. One even considered himself a good husband because he provided adequately for his family’s needs. But herein lay the crux of the problem. He defined needs only in material and monetary terms. Giving his time and attention to the children and his affection to his wife was not essential in his mind. To be fair, they, like many fathers, threw in the obligatory once-a-year holiday. As if this alone would see the affectionstarved family through the lean months! I should not be too hard on fathers and husbands; after all, I am one myself. But it is a fact that in the course of my work, I have come to witness many who are sadly unaware of the needs of their loved ones to have their undivided attention and time, not another computer game or a designer bag. Possessions do not replace people. Their lack of awareness is also probably due to the lack of good role models. After all, stereotypical male models tend to emphasise focus on building one’s home and providing for the offspring once they have ‘settled down’. Another reason why men do not seem too keyed in on the emotional needs of their loved ones is that many are, themselves, starved of not just good fatherhood role models but also of love. They too may have been raised by distant fathers, and lack the vocabulary of words and actions to express love effectively. Are we all then doomed to live in emotionally-challenged relationships and environments? I like to believe not. If we embrace the God of Love and have the supreme example of what love is in Christ, then we can change this dire course, if we will humble ourselves to tap into this font of love. n Picture by dimid_86/Bigstock.com
WELFARE
Saving marriages, one at a time By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team
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s fewer Singaporeans are tying the knot in Singapore, more married couples, on the other hand, are calling it quits. According to figures released in July 2017 by the Department of Statistics, divorces and annulments in 2016 rose 1.2 per cent from the previous year, with a significant number of couples ending their marriages as they hit their 40s. Unions also lasted shorter, and close to 30 per cent of divorces were among those who have been married between five and nine years. This trend corroborates the most recent casework figures compiled by Methodist Welfare Services’ (MWS) three Family Service Centres (FSCs), namely Covenant FSC in Hougang, Daybreak FSC in Yishun, and Tampines FSC. Marital troubles, they reported, are one of the top presenting issues among their clients. Ms Connie Ng, director at Daybreak FSC, said, “Financial pressures, parenting conflicts and extra-marital affairs are top reasons why a marriage breaks down. For a couple whose marriage is on the rocks, it is likely the marital foundation is already weak because they have been avoiding facing their issues and discussing their values, fearing that that would lead to more arguments.” Referring to the Family of Origin Theory, she explained that the core values we hold are first learnt through our families, and are carried on when we start our own. While conflict and disagreements are inevitable when two different family dynamics come together, a major life event or transition, such as the birth of a child, job loss or taking on the duty of a caregiver to elderly parents, could worsen the situation. A potential clash of separate family backgrounds and upbringing could stress the couple out in their decision-making, and hamper honest communication. Not all can withstand this test. Caseworkers at Daybreak FSC often help couples who face crises caused by such stressful life events. However, Connie stressed that disagreements are not necessarily bad. In fact, it is healthy for a couple to talk through their problems. “Conflict avoidance is not a good starting point. When your views are not heard, and you are constantly giving in, the relationship becomes lopsided. It is important for couples to communicate with their partners, and collaborate to resolve issues,” Connie added. At MWS’ three FSCs, clients facing marital problems are closely guided through different stages of the counselling journey. The caseworker tries not only to understand their troubles, but also to help uncover other underlying issues. This paves the way for them to develop self-awareness, take ownership of their issues, and set their own counselling goals. Connie emphasised that each couple’s counselling journey is different. Some cases are closed after just two to three months, while others go on for years. Factors such as sharing the same faith and therefore a common value system can also help the couple to resolve their issues more quickly. Certain couples may require more intensive sessions to first develop personal awareness before they move on to make adjustments, when they begin to interact and collaborate with their spouse.
Regardless of the type of marital issue presented, MWS’ caseworkers focus on opening and strengthening communication lines between couples, so that when the next life transition takes place, they will have a ready set of tools to draw from. “Marriage thrives,” explained Connie, “when there is trust, commitment and a common ground for shared values to grow.” “A couple’s marital foundation is continually strengthened when they communicate openly and support each other in fulfilling their needs at each life stage, be it welcoming a new member to the household or entering their golden years together.” n MWS runs three Family Service Centres serving clients with multiple issues; FamilyWorks Community Services helping young and/or single-parent families within Punggol; and the MWS Family Development Programme aiding families trapped in chronic poverty. To support our efforts to help families and couples in distress, or for more information on how you can benefit from our marriage/family-related services, please email ce@mws.sg.
Beneficiary Case: A Better Husband & Father To Mr Lim (not his real name), the role of a father meant being a breadwinner. Every day, he spent hours at the office, working tirelessly to ‘bring home the bacon’. His wife resented his absence from home. Upset that the household lacked paternal presence, she pleaded with him to spend more time with the children. This led to endless arguments that threatened their marriage and family harmony. Through months of counselling sessions at Daybreak Family Service Centre, the couple learnt to facilitate understanding between each other, and are now moving towards positive change. Mr Lim now realises that being a good husband and father means being a more involved one. Photos courtesy of the Methodist Welfare Services METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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HOME
Sharing hope through small acts Gilbert Lok serves as an Associate Lay Leader at Aldersgate Methodist Church. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Trinity Theological College, in preparation for full-time pastoral-theological ministry.
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t is Saturday, 29 July 2017. The frightful whir of sharp razors sounds through the air. The proceedings are careful, efficient, clinical. I feel the professionals at work, but can’t really see what’s happening to me. Family and friends await the result: how will things turn out? A part of me falls away, left behind. It is swiftly cleaned up, swept off, discarded. Finally, it’s done. There is a difference. It will take some getting used to.”
This was my experience at Hair for Hope 2017, an annual event organised by the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) which aims to raise funds and raise awareness of childhood cancer. For me, it was a mere hour of waiting, a mere ten-minute procedure, a mere few months before I look ‘normal’ again. For the children who wrestle with cancer, and for their families, the struggles are incomparably greater. (Visit CCF’s website at www.ccf.org.sg for more information and stories.) So why did I shave? To me, it was a small act to show solidarity with those who are going through far greater challenges than I can imagine. For the past few years, various students, faculty and staff from Trinity Theological College have come together in an unofficial capacity to
‘Before’ and ‘After’ photos of the TTC team who participated in Hair for Hope 2017.
participate in Hair for Hope. It’s a tiny way in which we try to go from classroom to community, living out our learning in practical and impactful ways. We are grateful to those who supported this year’s event through your encouragement and donations. Your support brings hope and help to the children in need. May we all continue to serve the Lord by serving others in our community and society (1 Peter 4:11), for even the small things can make a difference. n Photos by Reginald Chan and Grace Koh
Good news for GCO staff at Town Hall
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olossians 3:23 exhorts us to view our work as service to God rather than human supervisors; however, this does not preclude us encouraging and affirming one another in the Lord’s work. In fact, much of the book of Acts describes acts of encouragement to the believers, often in the form of personal visits and words, which empowered the growth of the nascent church. Thus, the presence of Mr Goh Geck Teck, Chairman of the Finance and Administration Council (FAC) of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), and Mr Issac Asirvatham, Chairman of the Committee on Human Resource Management under the FAC, at the 24 July Town Hall meeting for the MCS’ General Conference Office staff was a source of encouragement – not least because they brought news of assurance and affirmation for staff. Having initiated the Good Ideas scheme at the previous Town Hall meeting to provide staff a platform for feedback and suggestions, they were
Mr Issac Asirvatham (seated, in blue shirt) and Mr Goh Geck Teck (seated, in navy blue polo) with GCO staff at the Town Hall meeting.
true to their word, presenting the inaugural award to the Communications Department for submitting a number of good ideas. Both chairmen went on to demonstrate their commitment to staff welfare by encouraging staff to seek skills development, and updating them about the completed salary structure review. The refreshed structure would soon be implemented through an updated performance appraisal process, and individual letters were distributed informing staff of their updated pay grade and the salary increment given for the new financial year (starting August). The quantum of mid-year bonus was also announced, matching that declared by the Singapore Government. The meeting closed with lunch, affording the chairmen opportunities to personally meet and encourage staff members, who contribute much to the behind-the-scenes work of the MCS headquarters. n Photo courtesy of MCS Comms
MISSIONS
Can medical camps leave a lasting impact? Gopal Sebastian is a missionary with the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) and MMS Country Director for Nepal. He and his family have been serving in Nepal for the last 11 years. Their home church in Singapore is Sengkang Methodist Church.
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any doctors and mission trippers have asked me: “How effective is it to have a once-yearly medical camp in a village?” I have reflected on this question and each time I am asked, I seek God’s wisdom. Invariably, the answer from Him is the same: “My child, it’s not about you or how much you do. Rather, it’s about what transformation I will bring through your simple giving of yourself.” In our Community Development efforts in Nepal, we conduct eight to 10 medical camps annually in three regions of Nepal, through the partnership of Methodist churches in Singapore. It is an essential pre-emptive strategy for Church Planting, as the medical camps have helped the Methodist Church in Nepal (MCN) to establish 10 preaching points. Through these medical camps, we have been able to reach out to 2,500-3,000 people. There are many more Unreached People Groups (UPG)* in Nepal, located mainly in the western region. For our medical teams to get to some of these remote villages, they would have to endure a twohour jeep ride, followed by a five-hour trek over rough and mountainous terrain. While we have yet to reach out to these villages, we recognise the need, as this is where the UPGs are located. In most villages in Nepal, a villager would need to trek about three hours to a main road, followed by a two- to three-hour bus ride to get to a major town where they can receive decent medical services. In all probability, they do not seek medical help until their condition worsens. By then it may be too late, and they may not survive the arduous journey. Culturally, sick villagers may also resort to seeing village shamans, known as Jhakri, who apply spiritual practices and rituals as they associate illness with possession of unclean spirits. When a medical camp is conducted in such villages, many would come to see our doctors and dentists, with some hailing from villages three to four hours away by foot. Our doctors provide medication for symptomatic treatment, and in complicated cases that require follow-up and pastoral care, they would then recommend the patient for specialised treatment. Our local pastors and the Christian community are also able to show care and concern for the patients and their families.
One such amazing story is that of Bhim Kerung and his family. Bhim’s son was diagnosed by our doctors as having clubfoot and a bone disorder called Blount’s Disease. His legs were bowed significantly with both of his feet bent inwards, resulting in the child having to walk on his ankles. Bhim came to one of our medical camps with his son. Although Bhim was a Buddhist, he was willing to follow through his son’s treatment with the church’s help. The Christian community helped support Bhim and his wife emotionally, and for the medical treatment of their child. After the treatment and care by the church, Bhim’s son is now able to lead a normal life. His legs have straightened, and he can walk normally and is enjoying soccer with his friends. Bhim and his family have since accepted Christ, and he is now serving as a leader in the church. Last
year, he received his Local Preachers’ License that enables him to minister to the community and in sharing God’s Word. Through our medical camps, we can touch and have touched many in love and action, thereby transforming their lives and their community. As a result, preaching points and churches are established as the Christian community grows. Medical camps serve as a conduit that enables God’s love, mercy, and grace to be exemplified by our teams, being blessed as they seek to bless their brothers and sisters in Christ. As we do our work in obedience, we trust and believe that God will do His part and that His Name will be glorified. n *People groups in Nepal are listed at unreachedresources.info/countries/NP.
Photos courtesy of the Methodist Missions Society METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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METHODIST MESSAGE, AuGuST 2013
HYMNS & SONGS
My life is not my own Dr Yeo Teck Beng is a member of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
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hat’s in it for me? It’s my life. It’s my ministry. These are my talents. That’s my money to spend the way I want.” Have we entertained these thoughts? As Christians, we can sometimes lose our bearings in our walk with God and start asking, “What is God going to do for me? How is God going to bless me?” The texts of ‘Take My Life, and Let It Be’ depict a stark contrast to a self-centered life that thinks only of fulfilling one’s selfish needs and desires. The composer, Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879), called it a consecration hymn. It was written on 4 Feb 1874, the last night of her five-day visit to friends at Arley House, Worcestershire.1 Known as the “consecration poet”, Havergal said a prayer that all 10 members of the family she was visiting might become genuine and rejoicing Christians. God answered her prayer and she wrote, “Before I left the house everyone had got a blessing... I was too happy to sleep and spent most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves, and chimed my heart one after another, till they finished with ‘Ever, Only, ALL for Thee!’ ”2 Structurally, the original text of the hymn takes the form of 12 paired couplets that extol the beauty of a consecrated life. A life surrendered to Christ is the submission of the entire personality – mind, body, words and deeds, intellect and will – as well as one’s money and possessions. The hymn is Havergal’s personal song of consecration. The first stanza consecrates her life moment by moment, as well as her hands and feet. The second stanza is personally significant for Havergal who was naturally very musical and had been trained as a concert soloist.3 Instead of seeking worldly fame, Havergal was determined to sing only for Jesus. The final stanza consecrates her will, heart, love and self, which embody her whole being. Let us be wholly consecrated to the Lord and be faithful stewards of the good gifts God has entrusted to us. n
1
Frank Colquhoun, A Hymn Companion: Insight into Three Hundred Christian Hymns (Wilton: Morehouse Barlow, 1985), 223.
2
Ibid., 223.
3
enneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily K Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich: Kregel Publications, 1990), 247.
Take My Life, and Let It Be
(The United Methodist Hymnal, #399) Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as thou shalt choose. Take my will, and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee. Words: Frances R. Havergal, 1873 (Rom. 12:1) Music: Louis J. F. Herold, 1839, arr. by George Kingsley, 1839
Picture by soupstock/Bigstock.com
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WOW MOM MINISTRY
Practical and spiritual su Grace Toh is the Editor of Methodist Message. She put this article together with valuable input from Jodi Yong, Team Leader of the WOW MOM ministry, a division of Cru Singapore.
“B “I’m not alone” – these words of realisation have been echoed by countless mothers over the 32 years that the WOW MOM ministry – previously known as the Homemakers’ Ministry – has been in existence.
eing a first-time mum, I was exhausted and depressed,” shared Ms Steffanie Liu, a mother of two boys. “I almost believed that although God would save me spiritually, He didn’t care about how much physical and emotional suffering I was going through.” “Now as I look back, I recognise that belief was an outright lie, because being in this WOW MOM group is evidence of God’s loving care towards me physically and emotionally. My leader and the ladies in the group have shown me loving acceptance and warm encouragement. Their honest sharing about their sufferings, struggles, and victories made me feel the love and warmth of God’s family, and helped me realise that God knows what I’m going through. I’m not alone because He knows and He cares.” “I’m not alone” – these words of realisation have been echoed by countless mothers over the 32 years that the WOW MOM ministry – previously known as the Homemakers’ Ministry – has been in existence. (“WOW MOM” stands for “Women of Worth, Moms on Mission”.) Initially an informal network born out of the needs of first-time stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs), the ministry was drawn under the umbrella of Cru Singapore in 1985, and now reaches out to all mothers regardless of working status, recognising that the transformative experience of motherhood requires peer support that other mothers are uniquely positioned to provide. Back in 1985, the need for in-person peer support was all the more critical with the rising incidence of the nuclear family as a residential unit rather than extended families living together, which meant first-time mothers had less opportunity to draw on the expertise and experiences of their own mothers. The practice of seeking community and information through the Internet was not yet as widespread, and SAHMs often felt cut off from their prematernity social circles, leading to isolation and loneliness. The network of mothers, which grew through word-of-mouth, resulted in locationbased clusters mushrooming across Singapore. More than just an avenue for fellowship and Bible study, this network provided practical tips and helping hands from those who immediately and intimately understood, a godsend to a first-time or struggling mother.
upport for mothers “We had play groups for the children, makan sessions, shared recipes, did crafts and played outdoor games,” recalled Mrs Pauline Lau, in an interview with the ministry’s pioneers published in its 25th anniversary magazine. In the same magazine, Ms Apple Wong shared how her group members supported her through her breast cancer diagnosis around the same time her third child, who has Down Syndrome, turned one. “These mothers became my faithful prayer warriors – they took time to intercede, some accompanied me for my therapy sessions, and others cooked and sent us yummy meals.” Mothers were not the only ones who benefited from the ministry. Throughout the magazine, there were testimonies of how pre-believing husbands, domestic helpers, and friends were drawn to the Lord through the love and witness of its members. Most significant, however, has been the impact of an engaged, encouraged mother on her children. I recall my mother, Mrs Helen Toh, blossoming as a leader when she helped pioneer the ministry during my Primary School years. I saw how she was given opportunities to lead Bible study and hone her leadership capabilities regardless of paper qualifications, how she grew in confidence in interacting with others, and how she helped so many families with practical and spiritual support. Contrary to popular views in the media, I became convinced that being a SAHM was an acceptable and feasible vocation, and even aspired to be a homemaker just like my mother. Mrs Jodi Yong (pictured below in pink), Team Leader of the WOW MOM ministry, affirmed its positive impact on children through their mothers: “If we desire our children to be Christ’s disciples, then we must first become Christ’s disciples ourselves.” In 2013, her daughter who was then 12 years old asked: “Mummy, will we have a Christmas outreach this December?” In response, she challenged the girl to run a Christmas outreach with her friends who were children of WOW MOM members, aged between 6 and 14 years old, since they had seen how their mothers did it. The children took on the challenge! They designed invites, purchased goodie bags, planned and executed games, and shared the Gospel. It was a huge success! (See top right photo.)
This certainly fits the last part of the ministry’s focus on building God’s T.E.A.M.: Transformation by God’s Word; Evangelisation of the lost; Accountability to one another; and Multiplication of Christ’s disciples. More immediate, however, has been the impact on younger and newer mothers from interacting with more experienced members. Shared Ms Grace Kwok, a mother of five: “Being in the WOW MOM ministry has helped me see the value of having older women walk alongside me, to encourage me in my journey as a SAHM. I was once a young mum with many issues and struggles. If not for my leader Siew Leng who took time to check in on my emotional well-being, I would have fallen into depression.” “I prayed to the Lord that when the time came for me to mentor and walk alongside other young mums, I would gladly do so. This year the opportunity came. Together with my pastor’s wife, we met up with new mums, to encourage them in their new roles as mother and helpmate to their husbands.” The ministry also organises talks and workshops that form a valuable resource to help parents navigate childrearing in the present age (see sidebar for their latest upcoming event). This precious network of friendship and support, sparked 32 years ago, continues today in WOW MOM groups across Singapore, helping mothers remember they are “not alone”. n
JOIN the WOW MOM ministry – contact Mrs Jodi Yong at wow_mom@cru.org.sg Seminar: So you are thinking about giving your child a mobile What are the conversations that you should have with your child in preparation of the new responsibility of having his or her own mobile phone? What are the boundaries that you should set to ensure that your child knows how to use it safely and wisely? Come for a time of discussion and learning on how you can guide your child to be wise in using a mobile device. You will also get to hear from a teenager about online teen culture. 4 Nov 2017 (Saturday) 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. Cru Centre, 18 Verdun Road, S(207280), Level 3 Free admission but registration required – sign up at tinyurl.com/wowmomN17. Limited to 100 spaces. Photos courtesy of WOW MOM ministry METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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Building Through Belief, this school of choice provides: * Exceptional examination results; very strong value added achievement; and an all-round holistic education * 50:50 mix of local and international teachers who uphold the dual Methodist ethos and ACS heritage * Small class sizes with overall student : teacher ratio of 8.7 : 1 * 40 different CCAs – 16 Sporting; 12 Visual and Performing Arts; 12 Special Interest Groups * 25+ overseas trips per year * Over 200 formal student leadership positions * Scholarships for 4 Singaporeans to undertake the IB Diploma programme
ACS
Mr Rob Burrough Principal
For more information, please contact Joseph Ng or Stephanie Hanrahan at +65 6472 1477 or admission@acsinternational.edu.sg
What the Parents say …
“We value the school’s deep heritage and strong values … their holistic approach provides an encouraging learning environment.”
Mr Gavin Kinch Vice Principal
(International)
Singapore is a distinctive international secondary school open to all Singaporeans & other nationalities, offering an all-round Mrs Tan Siew Hoon Vice Principal English-based education for students aged 12 - 18 years leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP).
Achievements include: • Top students achieved 45 / 45 perfect score in IB Diploma in each of the past two years. – Winnie Cruz-Ding
“Our daughter has become a person that we feel is ready for the world.”
• 19 Top of the World awards in IGCSE examinations over each of the past eight years • Students accepted to Oxford and Cambridge universities for the past eight years
– Keith and Nancy Tan
• Admissions to top universities in the UK, US, Australia “The different teaching methods, the high quality of teaching, and Singapore
the promotion of individual character and personality, and the obvious enjoyment of school … made our daughter’s transfer most worthwhile.”
• PSLE and Singapore GCE ‘O’ level students achieve outstanding value-added examination results for the IB Diploma with improved pathways to good universities
“We love the smaller class sizes … and the many approachable, friendly, passionate, and dedicated teachers.” – Cecilia Chau
• Successes at national level this past year in Archery; Touch Rugby; Cycling; Swimming; Chinese Drama; Debating; Fencing; Football; Golf; String Orchestra; Taekwondo; Volleyball; Wushu.
– Vincent and Germaine Leong
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ACJC marks 40 years with Faith, Hope and Love Ganga Jayaram is Head of Department for Outreach and Relations at Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
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nglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) celebrates its 40th year of establishment in 2017. It was established in 1977 as the fifth junior college under the Singapore Government’s initiatives to expand preuniversity education. However, the idea of a college arm of Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) had been first mooted by Bishop William Oldham, and championed by the Rev James Nagle. The opening of ACJC thus represents the fruition of that long-cherished vision.
It was therefore fitting that the themes ‘Faith’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Love’ were chosen for the commemoration. We give thanks for God’s faithfulness through the generations in blessing the work of many hands that contributed to ACJC, and helped it grow from strength to strength. It is with hope that we look forward to the next 40 years, as we trust God to lead the way according to His plan. Furthermore, we celebrate the ties of fraternal love and friendship that bind all ACSians together. The focal point of the commemoration was the Thanksgiving Concert and Alumni Homecoming Breakfast, held on 13 May 2017. The event was conceived as a way for alumni to rekindle ties, and to revisit the College campus to relive their memories. Alumni across the generations, including Old Boys and Girls from the very first cohort, spent the morning catching up with friends and former members of staff, over a sumptuous breakfast spread that included retro delights like the icecream sandwiches of their youth. In addition, the alumni were able to tour the College, including the ACJC Grace Heritage Gallery, and to marvel at the many changes to the facilities. Iconic memory spots were featured, such as the original Smiley and the Arts Village (top right pic), to provide them the opportunity to recreate photos taken in their days in the College. There was also a worship session helmed by current and former Christian Fellowship members to gather grateful hearts to give thanks to God. Many alumni shared how excited they were to be back, and how much they looked forward to maintaining their ties with ACJC. What was truly heart-warming was the way different generations of ACJC alumni came together for the event. At the Thanksgiving Concert held in the College’s Faith Centre of Performing Arts, guests were treated to spectacular performances by various performing arts groups, which included both current students and alumni. In addition, alumni paired up with current students to host the Concert, and shared fond memories of their time in ACJC with that special brand of ACSian wit and humour. A special highlight at the Thanksgiving Concert was the launch of the restored digital clock tower, an iconic feature that links ACJC to the clock tower at ACS Barker Road as a visual reminder of shared ACS heritage. A donation drive to restore the clock tower was launched earlier with the hope that each of the 40 cohorts of ACJC students would have a stake in it, and restore it as a gift to future generations of students.
In addition to the remembrance of things past, the Concert looked forward to the future, as staff, students, The Methodist Church in Singapore, the ACS Board of Governors, and the Old Boys’ Association all contributed items to an ACJC Time Capsule (picture below). Beyond the merrymaking and excitement, the event was a way for us as a family to give thanks to God, to continue to enthrone Him as head of ACJC, and to reaffirm our mission as a College within the ACS family of schools, in raising righteous generations of students who love, honour, and serve Him wherever they go and in whatever they do. To God be the glory! The Best is Yet to Be! n To view photos from the College’s 40-year history, visit the ACJC website at www.acjc.moe.edu.sg. For up-to-date College news, follow ACJC on Facebook at fb.me/anglochinesejuniorcollege, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/acjc_official. Alumni who wish to join our mailing list for updates about ACJC can contact the College at contact_alumni@acjc.edu.sg. Photos courtesy of Anglo-Chinese Junior College
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HOME
PPTMC turns 90 The Rev Isaac Raju V. is Pastor-in-Charge of Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church and Jurong Tamil Methodist Church.
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asir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church (PPTMC) celebrated a new milestone – our 90th anniversary – on 11 June 2017 with a joyous thanksgiving service. An anniversary dinner was held on 22 July 2017 at SAFRA Mount Faber with Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance as Guest of Honour. PPTMC was founded in 1927 for the purpose of worshipping God. Our forefathers have left a rich heritage that anchored us to be a disciple-making church today. In the Old Testament, Sarah gave birth at age 90, God fulfilling His promise in Genesis 15:4. PPTMC can claim a similar promise as we wait in faith and obedience. Our forefathers were ardent followers of the early church traditions which they passed down to us. For 90 years, we have weathered the storms, and have emerged victorious through trials and troubles. The problems and struggles that we overcame have now become blessings and stepping-stones. God’s grace has been with us in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings. Our hearts are full of thankfulness to God. Our church has reached out to the needy and sick in the community, supports SINDA programmes, and has mission endeavours in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Starting four years ago, we conduct outreach ministry in Teck Whye on Sundays from 5.30 – 6.30 p.m., at the Methodist Church of the Incarnation.
Cutting the anniversary cake with Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance, Ms Indranee Rajah.
Our desire is for PPTMC to be a lighthouse for the community, reflecting Christ-likeness, so that many will find rest and refuge for their souls. n Photos courtesy of Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church
IN MEMORIAM
The Rev Dr Jesudian Daniel (21 Feb 1924 – 02 July 2017)
Veronica Poore is Chairperson of the Board on Presidency of Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference. She worships at the Tamil Methodist Church in Short Street.
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he late Rev Dr Jesudian Daniel (1924–2017) will be affectionately remembered as a pastor who displayed genuine love and respect for all people. Graciousness and humility were the hallmarks of his personality.
Above all, he will be remembered as a man of prayer – praying for all things and never losing an opportunity to pray for any person, regardless of race or culture. As a 17-year-old, he received God’s call: “Daniel, you are a good person, and you are to go overseas to serve the Lord. God will lead you and guide you in all that you do.” Since that early beginning until the day he was called home to be with the Lord on 2 July 2017, the Rev Dr Daniel stood on God’s promises and served the only God whom he knew and worshipped, holding fast to God’s leading. He spent the bulk of his working years tending to the Lord’s vineyard in Singapore. His career began in the early 1940s at Tamil Methodist Church (TMC) in Short Street, and continued in 1955 at the Preaching Point at Alexandra Brickworks, which congregation would later be constituted as Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church (PPTMC). He went on to serve there for more than four decades before passing on the baton in 1996. During those years of pastoral service in both TMC and PPTMC, the Rev Dr Daniel served two churches, as was often the case for Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference (ETAC) ministers. In September 1972, when the congregation was no longer able to worship at Alexandra Brickworks, the Rev Dr Daniel and his wife, Mary, opened their home for worship services and Bible study classes. His abode was the birthplace of the ETAC Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF), the plans for which were laid out upon their kitchen table. The Rev Dr Daniel also served on the Tamil Work Committee, Singapore and the Tamil Provisional Annual Conference (TPAC), during which time ETAC was formed. Subsequently, he was elected ETAC President and served in that office from 1984 to 1988.
As a minister, he prayed fervently that God would raise young men to enter the Ministry. His persistence and faith paid off and God answered his prayers: both Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon and the Rev Philip Abraham were members of PPTMC when they surrendered their lives to the Ministry. Despite having retired from active ministry in 2002, the Rev Dr Daniel continued to serve as an honorary pastor and provided his wise counsel in the ETAC Board on the Ministry (BOM). He and Mary also went on to minister through the ‘Jesus Calls’ Prayer Ministry. Foremost in his mind was always consideration for Tamil ministry, reaching out more effectively to the Tamil youths, promoting forgiveness and reconciliation, and solidifying the spirit of unity within the various congregations, especially that amongst the Tamil Methodist churches. His heart beat for both God and the people. The late Rev Dr Daniel’s ministry will be remembered as one that was built on a solid faith in God and a lifelong awe of His love; he was a true servant of God. n
In September 1972, when the congregation was no longer able to worship at Alexandra Brickworks, the Rev Dr Daniel and his wife, Mary, opened their home for worship services and Bible study classes.
Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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METHODIST MESSAGE, JULY 2013
SOUNDINGS
Evolving marriage? 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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n her article entitled ‘The Trouble With Modern Marriage’, published in Psychology Today, Erica B. Slotter echoed the questions asked by many marital researchers: “ ‘What gives?’ What has changed about the nature of marriage since the 1970s that makes it less appealing to some, less satisfying to others, and generally less stable?” The signs that marriages are not only less resilient today, but that marriage itself is falling out of favour, are altogether obvious and ominous. These trends are not confined only to the West, but are also mirrored in Asian countries like Singapore. For example, in 2015 there were 7,500 marital dissolutions here, compared to 3,500 in 1990. But why are we witnessing the collapse of marriage and the family? Some scholars believe that part of the reason for this is the sexual revolution, a social movement in the 1960s responsible for the liberalisation of moral attitudes towards sex and the eradication of taboos. Its libertine attitude is expressed well by the rockers of Woodstock: “If you are not with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” The sexual revolution has unleashed experimental sexual practices and habits such as ‘open marriages’ and ‘public intercourse’, all of which have wide and disconcerting ramifications to familial and social relationships. Self-styled progressives and liberals, who are promoting novel models of marriage, are simply not perturbed. They often argue that marriage is evolving. But what exactly do they mean by this? In his book Defending Marriage, Anthony Esolen rightly takes issue with this liberal evolutionary view of marriage and the family. He points out that the inner meaning of the biological metaphor has to do with the unfolding “of ever greater and more powerful potentialities that had lain latent within”. In other words, to speak of evolution is to suggest that a more complex and sophisticated organism has emerged from something more primordial and basic. “So a seed germinates and develops into a seedling,” Esolen writes, “which then unfolds in trunk and limbs and leaves and becomes a tree.” Esolen therefore asks if we can really say that marriage and the family have evolved, “in the common sense of the word”. By what criterion, and on what basis do the progressives and liberals make such a claim? “Is the family, I say, now something mightier than it was, as the tall oak is mightier than the sapling it used to be? Has it not been disintegrating – not evolving, but collapsing?” he asks. This discussion brings to the surface another issue that Esolen and many Christian commentators have alluded to but which still deserves more attention. It is the view that marriage, like all other forms of social institutions, should change and adapt with the times. It is the view that, just like other social and cultural customs, marriage should morph if it is to remain relevant, and that society can and perhaps should direct this metamorphosis. The Church can never endorse the evolutionary view of marriage and the family because it believes that they are instituted by God Himself, and are not merely malleable human customs or conventions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “the intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the
“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.
Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws… God himself is the author of marriage”. Furthermore, marriage as a human vocation cannot be extricated from the nature of humanity itself, for it is “written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator”. In other words, marriage is in a profound sense intrinsic to the order of creation itself. To understand marriage and family in this way is to see just how essential they are for the ordering and flourishing of human society. The Catechism is again very clear on this: “The wellbeing of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.” This means that the attempt to evolve or ‘update’ marriage and family by replacing the model that God had designed with something avant-garde would have serious and perhaps irreversible longterm consequences to society. n
Picture by Nosnibor137/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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HOME ...continued from page 1
“Take away everything I have, but do not take away the sweetness of walking and talking with the King of glory.” – John Stam the blue, at a time when we feel quite unprepared. James 1:2 talks of numerous trials suddenly hitting us — that is what the Greek there implies. Why doesn’t God always warn us beforehand like a good father usually does? An even more basic question is, “Why does our loving Father allow us to go through problems and hardships?” Any father would do all he can to save his child from facing suffering. But often they have to helplessly watch as their children suffer, unable to do anything to stop the suffering. But God can stop our suffering. Why doesn’t He do so? Our knowledge is incomplete. We parents act immediately to help our struggling children when we know of impending danger or problems. God, on the other hand, knows perfectly what is best for us, and He sometimes chooses to let us go through difficulties without intervening directly. Instead, He gives us the strength and the necessary guidance for each moment, and does something wonderful in our lives through the problems. God makes us patient people One reason why God allows us to go through problems and suffering is that He wants us to be patient people! We need to have patience in our relationships with people and the world, as there is
much that is not ideal in the people we relate to and in the world around us. People who have not learned patience are unhappy people, because they do not know how to face difficulties they encounter from people and the world. There are two Greek word groups for “patience” in the New Testament, and they appear more than 60 times, referring to the need for Christians to be patient. More than 60 times! That is how important patience is to the Christian life. And God’s way to make us patient is to let us go through hardships. A man asked a pastor to pray for him, that he would have more patience. In the pastor’s prayer, he kept praying, “Lord, send my brother tribulation.” The man tapped the pastor on his shoulder and said, “Pastor, I need patience, not tribulation.” The pastor replied, “The Bible says, ‘tribulation produces patience’.” (Romans 5:3, MEV) Patience is the ability to persevere with difficult people and under difficult circumstances. God does not promise ease and the solving of all our problems; but the Word says that we can rejoice in our trials because He is teaching us patience through them (Romans 5:3; James 1:2-3). But why should we rejoice over the fact that our hardships make us more patient? Patience is usually viewed as an undesired necessity in our lives, not something to be happy about. Actually, it is something to be happy about! Learning patience is key to a joyous life, and patience is learned through difficulties and hardships. So God will allow us to “suddenly encounter all kinds of trials” (James 1:2) to teach us to be patient. The happiest people in the world are not those who do not have problems. They are those who are not afraid of problems. Those who have learned to trust God and patiently face trials, knowing that God will turn everything to good, are not afraid of all the supposed misfortunes they face. They can be joyous in the middle of trials. So we can rejoice when we have problems because we know that God will use them to make us patient – that is, joyous – people.
God deepens our relationship with Christ In the midst of all this, another thing is sure: Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35) Experiencing Christ’s love is the most precious wealth and the most joyous experience in our lives. And we can experience that even in the midst of suffering. John Stam and his wife Betty were young missionaries who were martyred by the Communists in China in 1934. John once said, “Take away everything I have, but do not take away the sweetness of walking and talking with the King of glory.” That is the most glorious thing in our lives, and it is not touched by suffering. Suffering actually deepens our relationship with God. Paul says that one way in which we know Christ deeper is by “[sharing] his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). Suffering makes us look to God with desperation, and that deepens our relationship with Him — the sweetest thing in our lives. But that is not all. When we look to God during our problems, God comforts us. Paul says, “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Corinthians 1:5). The suffering becomes an opportunity for God to touch us with His comfort, and by so doing to increase our joy in Him. When we know that God has comforted us, it gives us a great joy that is deeper than the pain we experience. We are so happy that God reached out to us personally and lovingly ministered to us. He has pampered us like a loving father pampers his struggling child. God loves to do that. Paul calls Him “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Corinthians 1:34). Suffering then increases the most beautiful thing in our lives: our love relationship with Jesus. We become like Jesus In Philippians 3:10, Paul says that when we share in Christ’s sufferings, we also become “like [Jesus] in his death”. Jesus is a suffering Saviour, and if we want to be like Him, we too must suffer. Becoming like Jesus is to become like what God made us to be. Henry Clay Morrison, who founded Asbury Seminary where
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” – Romans 8:35
Patience is the ability to persevere with difficult people and under difficult circumstances. God does not promise ease and the solving of all our problems; but the Word says that we can rejoice in our trials because He is teaching us patience through them (Romans 5:3; James 1:2-3). I studied, once said, “God did not fix me up so that I couldn’t sin. He fixed me up so that I couldn’t sin and enjoy it.” We were created in the image of God. That means the only way we can be fulfilled, complete and happy people is by being loving and holy like Jesus is. For Jesus, that meant suffering. A few years ago, I did a study of all the times Jesus is presented in the New Testament as a model for us to follow. I found 29 passages. Three texts were general calls to be like Jesus. One text was a call to be obedient like Jesus. Two texts were calls to follow Christ’s example in forgiving others. The rest — 23 texts — dealt with suffering and servanthood, and patient perseverance. Actually, most of the servanthood passages in the Bible are about suffering. So 23 out of 29 passages where we are asked to follow Christ have to do with suffering! When we are like Jesus we become fulfilled, complete and happy people. If this is so we should welcome suffering! We parents act according to our limited knowledge and try to shield our children from trouble. But God wants to do a deeper work in our lives. He wants us to be joyous, contented individuals. We cannot be joyful in an imperfect world unless we know how to be patient. So God lets us experience “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword” in order to teach us patience. And through these hardships He also gives us an experience of deep intimacy with Him, which is the happiest thing in life. But that is not all. The suffering helps make us into the kind of people we were made to be. We become like Jesus, and in the process we become fulfilled and contented with life. Paul said, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) Now that is a good description of a truly joyous person. And that was written from a dark, dreary Roman prison! n
Picture by B-C-Designs/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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POEMS
The Prodigal Son Dr Oliver Seet is a member of Wesley Methodist Church and a Board Director of the Metropolitan YMCA. How flippantly in the wild mustang years of his youth he demanded his inheritance from the wise patriarch of the family; and then chose to lead a life, unrestrained and borderless in the glitzy lights of the metropolis, in roistering taverns, in high-stake gambling dens, and in the pleasurable arms of women lurking under street lamps bowed in shame – pushing the boundaries of a hedonistic life. But in the silent passages of the night, did he find gratification beyond the sensory? Was there satisfaction in the inner recesses of his soul? All he could hear in the stark stillness was the tinkling of shallow laughter from smoke-filled rooms, the mockery of flattering lips and the sordid taste of perfunctory friendships.
But when at last his resources were all spent, where were his hangers-on and professing friends? Like the vapour of dawn the veneer of camaraderie had vanished never to be found again. And now reduced to penury in a farmer’s pig pen, with a bare pittance scarcely enough for bread, he hungered even for pig swill. How could he have sunk to such depths of degradation? In utter desperation and despair, without a shard of pride left in his soul, he plodded back to his ancestral home to plead for pardon from his father and for employment as a servant in his household, yet fearing castigation and rejection which he well deserved.
But who is this who comes running from afar with outstretched arms and with a joyful countenance of welcome? How could this be his father now embracing him – a graceless wretch soiled with ingratitude, who had scorned churlishly good counsel and instruction, headstrong and self-willed in his thoughtless pride? How could there be such undeserved love, such forgiveness that would restore him as a son once more, and to hear his father say that he was lost but has been found again? Incomprehensible Godly love, unmerited life-changing grace! Luke 15:11-32
Picture by zatletic/Bigstock.com
September IS THE MONTH FOR VIEWING FAMILIES OF THE BIBLE THROUGH ART
1-17 Sep, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily
Capitol Piazza, 13 Stamford Road, S(178905), B2 Event Space Scan here to see The Colours of the Bible art exhibition has received more than 150 entries from Singapore, events online! Israel and other countries. For the first time this year, Scripture calligraphy entries will also be featured. Come and witness the different art styles, perspectives, and mediums that various artists have employed to portray the theme of ‘Families in the Bible’ and inspired by the stories, struggles, and celebrations of these Biblical families as you journey through this year’s exhibition.
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Admission is free. For more information and to sign up for workshops, visit colours.bible.org.sg
UNDERSTANDING WORLD RELIGIONS
21, 28 Sep / 5, 12, 19, 26 Oct / 2, 9 Nov (Thursdays) 7.30 – 9.30 p.m.
Trinity Theological College, 490 Upper Bukit Timah Road, S(678093), Level 3, Lecture Room 2 Living in a multicultural and multi-religious context means that we come into contact with people of different faiths and religious traditions almost every day. It is therefore important that we have a basic understanding of the nature of our neighbours’ faiths. The course seeks to provide an introduction to the origin, history, and basic tenets of each of the major religious traditions in the Asian context, and explores the implications for missions and evangelism. Organised by Trinity Theological College (TTC). Course fees: $100 ($80 for returning students, otherwise free for TTC alumni and TTC full-time students, but registration is required)
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For registration and more information, contact Ms Esther Lee at 6761-3624 or email cdcm@ttc.edu.sg
DEFINING BIBLICAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMON GOOD
23 Sep (Saturday), 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. (Registration opens at 8.30 a.m.) Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church, 77 Prinsep Street, S(188649)
Justice is one of the most important themes in the Bible. What, then, is biblical justice? How can the Church bear witness to the just God in a world tainted by such gross injustice? How can Christians work towards the common good in the wake of suspicion, alienation, and discrimination? Come find out these and more during this one-day conference! Organised by ETHOS InstituteTM for Public Christianity. Entry by registration only. Register by 22 Sep 2017 at ethosinstitute.sg/commongood.
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For more information, email info@ethosinstitute.sg or call 6304-3765.
PARENTING WITH CONFIDENCE
8, 15, 22 Oct / 5 Nov (Sundays), 2 – 5 p.m.
YWCA Fort Canning Lodge, 6 Fort Canning Road, S(179494), Room 806 New parents or parents-to-be sometimes wish children come with an instruction manual; parenting can seem so complex and challenging! Be equipped with a strong foundation to meet the formative needs of your child and embark on this exciting journey with confidence. Through this course, you will be able to: • • • •
Identify your parenting style and be an effective Parent-Coach Identify your child’s personality and successfully meet his or her needs Apply discipline strategies and techniques Communicate effectively, impart values, and create memories for your child
For parents of children 0 – 6 years. Organised by Wesley Methodist Church. Fee: $50 per parent or $95 per couple. Register by 10 Sep 2017.
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For registration and more information, contact Ms Angeline Hoon at 6837-8605 or
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METHODIST MESSAGE • SEP 2017
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THINK
A mother’s ambition for her children Lieutenant Wong Peck Ee was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in June 2013, and has a Master of Divinity degree from the Baptist Theological Seminary. She is the Corps Officer of the Bishan Chinese Corps with her husband, Lieutenant Leonard Heng. They have two children – Phoebe and Philemon.
“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
– Matthew 20:20-21 (NIV)
L
ike many Asian mothers, I have that “tiger-mom” streak in me, even now that I have adult children. I used to believe that the only way my children could have success in life was through academic achievement. If there were a modern-day Salome, that would be me. Salome was a devoted follower of Jesus, the wife of Zebedee who ran a fishing business, and the mother of disciples James and John. She was also one of the three women who ministered to Jesus, witnessed His crucifixion, and visited the tomb. Salome had the misconception that Jesus would drive out the Romans and establish a literal kingdom. She loved James and John deeply, and requested Jesus to have them seated at His right and left when He reigned. Salome had probably hoped that her sons would have a bright future in their father’s fishing business, but saw them leave when Jesus called. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:22-23, NIV) It is ironic that Salome made this request when Jesus was about to face His own execution. Jesus responded, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” James and John answered without realising the cost. Then Jesus said, “You will indeed drink from my cup…” By this, Jesus predicted the martyrdom of James and John. There was not going to be any earthly kingdom or deliverance from Roman oppression. It was the cup of pain and suffering that awaited Jesus. “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:24-28, NIV) Jesus explained that the competitive and domineering system of this world is not the Lord’s way. The way to God is the path of humility and servitude. Salome was asking for positions of authority, but Jesus’ idea of greatness is servanthood, sacrifice and even martyrdom. Jesus served by offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind. After Jesus’ death, Salome would
remember the anguished faces of the men who were crucified with Jesus, one on His right, and the other on His left – an ironic reminder of her request. Salome remained as one of Jesus’ faithful followers and she handed down a rich spiritual legacy to her sons. Despite her erroneous perception, God’s purposes were fulfilled in her sons’ lives, although not in the way that their mother had envisaged. James and John, together with Peter, were the only three disciples in the inner circle who had the privilege of witnessing Jesus’ glorious transfiguration. They also spent with Jesus His final and most agonising hours before His execution. James remained a loyal disciple and proclaimed the Gospel even after Jesus’ death and resurrection. John was the writer of five books of the New Testament and a pillar of the early church. On hindsight, God had indeed made Salome a proud mother. n REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 1. What are the things that define you? Is it your spouse’s success or your children’s achievements? 2. What kind of healthy ambition can we have for our children? 3. Are we prepared to surrender our best intentions and plans for our children to the Lord? Reprinted with permission from The War Cry, May 2017. Picture by makistock/Bigstock.com