THE METHODIST CHURCH IN SINGAPORE
ISSN 0129-6868 MCI(P) 027/11/2019
Vo l 1 2 2 N o 4 A P R I L 2 0 2 0
A UNITED CHURCH in a time of crisis
CHURCH PROFILE: To a Payo h C MC
DR ERNEST CHEW: What I Owe the Methodists
HYMNS & SONGS: Christ is Risen!
Contents
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1
Bishop’s Message
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Episcopal Letter
15
3
News—MCS celebrates 135 years!
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CAC Church Profile—Toa Payoh CMC
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One MCS—CAC Highlights
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One MCS—Identity & Destiny
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Home—Christ-centred creation care
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Home—What I owe the Methodists
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News—AYWLD seminar
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Home—Appreciating the unseen
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Welfare Services
Church life Methodists in the world Christian living
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Home—The power of media in a Church
17 Missions
18
You & Your Family
19
Hymns & Songs
20
TRAC Bible Matters
23 Soundings 24
Home—What does being a Methodist mean to you?
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Book Review—God’s Gardeners
26
THINK
The official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Published material does not necessarily reflect the official view of The Methodist Church.
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Editor Sheri Goh
Sub-editor
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BISHOP’S MESSAGE 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 from 2008 to 2016.
Peace be with you!
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his was the greeting the risen Lord gave His frightened disciples when He appeared among them on the evening of the first day of the week. The gospels tell us the disciples were in great fear because of the arrest, torture and crucifixion of Jesus, and the news that the tomb of Jesus had been opened and His body was not in it. They feared the Jews, the Roman soldiers and even Jesus before they were sure of His resurrection. Fear of the unknown had caused the disciples to panic and, according to the Gospel of John, they hid in a house and had the doors locked. Then Jesus appeared, stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” He also showed them His hands and His side. The disciples’ fears were dispelled and they were glad. (John 20:19–23) The disciples had followed Jesus for three and a half years, and had seen numerous miracles performed by Him. They listened in awe to His teachings about the kingdom of God. They were the witnesses when He healed the sick, cast out demons and even raised the dead. But unless they genuinely experienced Jesus in their lives and believed in Him, they still panicked when they encountered unknown perils. These were natural reactions of man throughout history, and also of Christians today. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak early this year there was panic among people in the coronavirus epicentres of the affected countries, which included Singapore and several
developed nations. The overreaction was due mainly to the fact that COVID-19 was an unknown virus, and people did not know what to expect. All of a sudden they seemed to have lost their rationality and sound judgement. Jesus told his disciples that He would give His peace to all who believe in Him, but the peace is not as the world gives (John 14:27). He also said that they would have peace in Him for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Among the followers of Jesus were those who remained loyal and steadfast in their belief. These included Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and a few other women. They were near Jesus when He was crucified; even after Jesus had been buried, they came to the tomb on the first day of the week at dawn in remembrance of Him, and brought the spices they had prepared. Were they not afraid? How could they remain so calm under those circumstances? I believe it was because of their steadfast love for the Lord and their unswerving faith in Him. The global death toll due to COVID-19 has soared to several thousands and the fatalities include doctors and healthcare workers. The deaths were grievous losses to their bereaved families. They were sacrificial victims of the pandemic, but they have also become case studies for researchers and health experts in the process of identifying effective treatments and developing vaccines for the thousands affected by COVID-19. Leaders of this fight
against the virus will need to be resolute in their goal to save lives. They’ll need to remain calm in making quick and decisive responses, which are effective and sustainable, and lead their people to act in concert. This year has started very differently from those of the past. We experienced many unexpected crises in the period from Lunar New Year, to Lent, and to the Holy Week and Easter in April. They put to the test all the beliefs and notions we have held over time, and of how Christians respond to grim situations. It is not about making decisions about whether to attend Sunday services or gatherings, and participating in mass activities. It is about how Christians demonstrate a high degree of social and civic responsibility as citizens, how we extend love and care to our neighbours in need, and how we help and support the poor. It is also about how, despite the economic crisis prompted by the pandemic and the impact on our own financial well-being, we maintain our deep faith in God—He is in control! Let us exercise our Christian character as we face the current serious situation. We will let life go on as normally as possible and continue to uphold our social responsibilities. Remember to extend care and love to the people around us and share the message of victory and hope in our risen Lord. Thus says the risen Lord:
Peace be with you!
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Episcopal Letter ¢ 13 March 2020
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in The Methodist Church in Singapore, May God grant you peace in these times. It has been just over a month since Singapore went to DORSCON Orange, and much has happened. Contact registration, Health and Travel Declarations before each service have become the new normal for us, and we are all more aware of the need for good personal hygiene practices. Whilst we continue to have worship services, I urge you to maintain a high level of vigilance both in the screenings, as well as your personal health. If you are unwell, please do go see a doctor and not come to church until you are well again. There are a few Methodist churches which have started live-streaming and recorded services and sermons which you can listen to and watch in your time of absence. We will reduce activities designed for seniors aged 60 and above as this age group is more likely to have a worse outcome should they fall ill. Social distancing will also mean refraining from gathering for fellowship after each service. If you attend a care group, please do continue to take temperature, maintain good personal hygiene, and disclose travel histories to help with contact tracing if necessary. Please cooperate with your pastors and leaders as they labour to maintain a safe environment for God’s people to come together to worship. As a people called Methodists, we should look out for those around us who may need our help and do so in practical ways—looking after or tutoring children when parents are on Home Quarantine Order (HQO); thanking cleaners, public workers and healthcare staff; giving a mask to an ill neighbour so they can go visit the doctor safely; or even cooking a meal for a family on Stay Home Notice (SHN). We must exercise our social responsibilities as bearers of Christ’s love and stewards of His peace. Most of all, do not neglect to pray and to constantly come back into the presence of our Lord through reading His word and spending quality time with Him. My prayers are for you and your churches to emerge even stronger through this season. Hebrews 13:20—21
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Still in one peace,
Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung The Methodist Church in Singapore FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON MCS’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19, go to https://www.methodist.org.sg/COVID-19 or scan the QR code.
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MCS 135 ¢ Lynn Tan is the MCS Community Communications Manager. / Photo courtesy of the Wesley Methodist Church
MCS celebrates 135 years!
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t was a beautiful morning on 16 Feb 2020. In the main sanctuary of Wesley Methodist Church (MC), the rich and harmonious voices of the Wesley MC combined choir enthralled guests and members with favourite hymns, including Charles Wesley’s “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “And Can It Be”. As part of precautionary measures arising from the COVID-19 outbreak , only 10 per cent of the choir sang. Yet their beautiful singing filled the hall, inspiring and uplifting all who were present.
Bishop Dr Chong greets worshippers at the MCS 135 launch service, and also Wesley MC’s 135th anniversary celebrations
Bishop Dr Chong scans the QR code for contact tracing
This was a special Sunday. The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) was launching its 135th anniversary celebrations together with Wesley MC, the first Methodist church in Singapore. Just two days earlier, the Ministry of Health had met with church leaders from all denominations to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak and issue guidelines for worship services. Many Singaporeans experienced a week of uncertainty and anxiety as our DORSCON level was raised from yellow to orange. Some churches decided to cancel their services or to conduct them online. Amid the uncertainty, celebrating 135 years of God’s faithfulness took on even greater significance. In a show of unity and faith, 879 people gathered at 8.30 a.m. and another 713 at 11 a.m. for the celebration services. Efficient volunteers cheerfully assisted guests in temperature taking and filling up contact details electronically. Everything ran so smoothly that it was as if such measures were a regular process at Wesley MC.
Guests to the MCS 135 launch included the Presidents of the Annual Conferences and their spouses, members of the General Conference Executive Council, as well as the leaders of Methodist agencies and schools. Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung shared a sermon based on the theme of MCS 135: “Loving God, Serving Together”. He spoke from Luke 10:23–37, where the scribe asked Jesus who his neighbour was. His sermon was a reminder that as Methodists we are part of the community and every one of us is a neighbour to someone else. Since its establishment in 1885, MCS has grown from strength to strength. We have contributed to nation building through the building of schools as well as through our social and community work. We would not be where we are today if not for our neighbours who built our institutions with us. These include many parents, donors and volunteers who may not be Christians. As we heard Bishop sharing, many of us were left to reflect—who is my neighbour and have I been a good neighbour to someone else? As Singapore goes through the challenge of managing COVID-19, it is an opportune time for us to be the neighbour God wants us to be. And to be grateful for all the neighbours who came before us, heralding us into our 135th year.
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Church Profile ¢
Toa Payoh Chinese Methodist Church
Timothy Toh Hong Ern is TPCMC’s Archivist and Steward. / Photos courtesy Toa Payoh Chinese Methodist Church
The church family at TPCMC’s biennial camp in JB in 2018 The TPCMC building after their latest redevelopment works
Leading the community to Christ
T
oa Payoh Chinese Methodist Church (TPCMC) was born in 1971 when Faith, Foochow, Kum Yan, Kampong Kapor and Wesley Methodist Churches came together to lay the foundation of evangelism in the New Town.
revival meetings; spiritual formation talks; workshops on writing personal testimonies; conversational evangelism; and a church camp to bring the topic of community evangelism to its congregation.
To provide the growing English and Chinese congregation with a long-term place of worship in Toa Payoh, The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) tendered for a plot of land for the construction of a sanctuary and activity rooms. Foochow MC led the construction efforts, with the rest of the Methodist churches contributing to the building funds.
TPCMC completed its second redevelopment works earlier in 2020. Its purpose was to improve existing facilities and enlarge activity spaces for TPCMC’s evangelistic works and social programmes. This year, we prayerfully encourage our congregation to pledge towards the redevelopment fund and to participate in our church’s anniversary lunch banquet, so that we can meet our fund-raising goal. We also hope that you will continue to keep our fund-raising efforts in your prayers and consider making a contribution.
Even before construction was officially completed in 1973, TPCMC began worship service in the sanctuary of the partially-completed building. In 1977, TPCMC formed a local conference with the approval of MCS. In 2008, TPCMC rebuilt the church building and, in 2018, further expanded its facilities. The main ministerial work of TPCMC is that of evangelism (Matt 28:18–20). When disciples of Christ emulate His life and participate in His ministry, their lives undergo revival and they can shine for Him. This way, they can lead others to Christ, so that they too may become His disciples. To achieve this vision, TPCMC’s leadership has been implementing a six-year plan, themed “Arise! Shine!” with the hope that the congregation will become a church of a thousand members. The plan has three stages: “Grow deep”; “Get equipped”; and “Go forth”. To this end, TPCMC has also organised the Youth Alpha Course; evangelism-based outreach tea sessions; Christmas evangelistic service; and Gospel Sunday service. To draw the Toa Payoh community closer to Christ, TPCMC has also initiated activities such as “爱邻40”, a programme that cares for 40 families in the neighbourhood; gift distribution in the community; excursions; seminars targeted at daily living; and make-up lessons. This year, TPCMC will conduct church
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The youth-organised fundraising lunch in 2019
TOA PAYOH CHINESE METHODIST CHURCH (Chinese Annual Conference) 480 Toa Payoh Lorong 2, S(319641) Chinese worship service: Sunday 9 a.m. Hokkien worship service: Sunday 9 a.m. New Life worship service (Chinese to English interpretation): Sunday 11 a.m.
http://tpcmc.org.sg/ church_office@tpcmc.org.sg 6259-8644
One MCS ¢
CAC Highlights
The Rev Dr Gregory Goh Nai Lat is the President of the Chinese Annual Conference.
The Garden of Gethsemane “Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will’” (Matt 26:33, NIV). How often we are like Peter—believing that our conviction to follow Jesus is so determined, that regardless of circumstance, there is no trace of doubt and we definitely will not disown our Lord. When we have such a belief, what Jesus said to Peter becomes harsh to the ear: “Truly I tell you,…this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (Matt 26:34, NIV). Not just once, Jesus said, but three times tonight. I wonder how Peter felt after hearing what Jesus had said. He probably found such prophecy difficult to accept! Yet, he knew that the words of Jesus were trustworthy. His knowledge of self and the declaration made by Jesus caused him to sink momentarily into a state of denial. He defended himself by declaring that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would never disown him. Our knowledge of ourselves often proves to be different from our actual self. When faced with the impending suffering at the cross, Jesus was heavily burdened. Although He was a perfect human, knowing what was to come still caused Him to be in great distress and sorrow. We often overlook this aspect of human weakness that Jesus displayed—which remains a mystery in God’s great creation. The worry, sadness and pain one experiences
when faced with difficulties, dangers and suffering ought to be seen as a gift from God. Human weakness may not necessarily lead to negative consequences. It could in fact cause humanity to shine. We witness this truth in the numerous inspirational life stories that have bloomed under the light of people’s victories over their weaknesses. The COVID-19 epidemic has allowed us to see the opposing responses one could have in the face of crisis.
The way to overcome suffering is to be watchful in prayer, while also inviting others to pray along with you. Knowing that the suffering of the cross was at hand, Jesus urged His disciples to remain watchful in prayer. He brought three disciples to keep watch and to pray along with Him as He was deeply grieved, to the point of death. The prayer in the garden of Gethsemane is key to attaining victory over the path of the cross. This article was first published in Chinese in the March 2020 issue of CAC News (Issue #417).
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One MCS ¢
Identity & Destiny
By the Structural Review Task Force
Lord, and what about him?
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ohn 21:1–21 describes an encounter that seven of the disciples had with Jesus. It was His third appearance after His resurrection and the disciples were still unsure as to what to expect. After a miraculous catch of fish and a tense breakfast cooked by the Lord Himself, Peter’s relationship with the Lord was restored. He was commissioned to lead the Church as he declared his undying love and responded to Jesus’ call to “feed my lambs”, “tend my sheep” and “feed my sheep”. When Jesus alluded to how his days would end, Peter understood even more clearly who Jesus is and what the words “follow me” would entail. Even as Peter got up to follow Jesus, wondering what the future held, he turned round to look at the others. When he saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was trailing behind, he asked, “Lord, and what about him?” By this, Peter was saying, “Lord, we are together”. When you are together, you look out for each other. Though one was moving ahead, and the other
was trailing, both were connected. Earlier that morning, when Peter first realised that Jesus was at the shore, he had jumped into the water and swam ahead, leaving the rest behind in the boat (John 21:7). But having a clearer understanding now, he felt compelled to look back, as if to assure himself of how the rest were doing. How do we look back and look out for others? In his sermon during the launch of the MCS 135 celebrations, Bishop Dr Chong reminded all Methodists of the great and first commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. […] And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:36–39). He said that it was tough for Christians to pursue a life of inward and outward holiness on their own. How great it is to have someone turn around to look out for us and say to the Lord, “And what about him?”
Who are our neighbours? Whom will I be a neighbour to? There are some situations in which
Methodists are saying, “Lord and what about him/them?” during this COVID-19 pandemic. Even if it’s a little inconvenient, let’s go get our temperature taken and wear the sticker to set a good example and reassure others. Or, I am giving the worship service a miss today because I am not feeling so well. It might require some extra effort to disinfect the hall after every worship service, but others will surely appreciate that the church is clean and sanitised. We are going to order some masks—do you need some too? Our church has tested out a system for decentralising worship and keep cell groups going and growing—we can show you how. We are opening our decentralised worship to any Methodist living nearby, regardless of church or conference from which they are. Who are those outside the realm of your usual consideration? Will you turn back and see who may be behind, even as you are planning for yourself and your own, and ask, “Lord, and what about them?” Our God is a mighty infinite God—His grace is sufficient for all of us.
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Home ¢ Dr Benjamin Grandey worked as a climate scientist. He is currently taking a career break to volunteer, study theology, and parent three young children. He worships at Living Waters Methodist Church.
Christ-centred creation care Should the Church care for the earth? To explore this question, let us consider the overarching framework of salvation history—the story of God’s good creation, damaged by our rebellion, reconciled through Christ.
CREATION Relationship status: harmonious God has always existed as a community of love, with love shared between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As an expression of His love, God created the universe through the Son and for the Son (Col 1:15–17). God created a wonderful earth. The earth’s ecosystem contains many components, interacting harmoniously. God created humans to be His representatives who care for the earth as a sacred duty (Gen 2:15). We have been created to live in community, in harmonious relationship with God, with one another, and with the earth.
Discipleship application: embodied celebration Through the incarnation, the eternal Son embraced His creation by being born as a human. As humans, we too must embrace an embodied spirituality, celebrating the goodness of God’s creation through thanksgiving to Him. In other words, our lives should overflow with thanksgiving to God, thanking Him for His creation.
Practical creation care: thanksgiving for the climate system God has created a wonderful climate system. This climate system contains many important components, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. If the natural greenhouse effect did not exist, the world would be so cold that even Singapore would be buried under a layer of ice.
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REBELLION Relationship status: broken Humans listened to Satan and rebelled against God, leading to a breakdown of relationships (Gen 3). First, the relationship between humans and God broke down. Second, relationships within humankind broke down, starting with Adam and Eve, expanding to fragmentation between different communities. Third, the relationship between humans and the earth broke down—the ground became cursed, so work became painful.
Discipleship application: spiritual warfare Jesus Christ came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, bringing God’s reign, undoing Satan’s works, and restoring a broken creation through healing and deliverance. At the cross, evil appeared to win but was ultimately crushed by Christ’s sacrificial love. Disciples follow Christ, waging spiritual warfare against the demonic forces that harm God’s creation (Eph 6:12). Our struggle is not against other humans, but against idolatrous influences such as consumerism. We do this in the power of the Holy Spirit. And we do this in the way of the cross, overcoming through weakness, suffering and love.
Practical creation care: a prophetic lower carbon lifestyle Our addiction to consumerism is driving atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide higher and higher, damaging the climate system. We must prayerfully challenge the idol of consumerism, starting with our own lives. Can the Church be a prophetic voice against exploitation in all its forms? Can we adopt lifestyles that model the way of Christ? One way to do this is by seeking to live a lower carbon lifestyle. There are many ways to reduce our carbon footprint, such as eating less beef, flying less and buying less.
RECONCILIATION Relationship status: reconciled
He returns, our physical bodies will be resurrected and redeemed, in the context of a renewed creation liberated “from its bondage to corruption” (Rom 8:18–25). In the meantime, the Holy Spirit indwells us, transforming us towards Christ-likeness, enabling us to participate in Christ’s ongoing mission of reconciliation. As His people, we are called to the ministry of reconciliation, demonstrating the fullness of Christ’s reconciliatory victory (2 Cor 5:17–21). We are called to proclaim the gospel, imploring people to be reconciled to God. We are called to demonstrate that the gospel bridges all divides, reconciling those from different cultural, ethnic and social groups into one renewed humanity, revealing “the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph 2:11–3:13). Are we not also called to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for all creation, healing the relationship between humans and the earth, restoring humanity to our God-given role of gardening His earth as an act of worship (Gen 2:15)?
Practical creation care: hope-filled holistic mission Hope-filled creation care complements cross-cultural disciple-making. In East Africa, a Christian organisation supports a marine restoration project, extending God’s blessing to non-Christian fishing villages. In the Middle East, a Christian organisation manages a wetland nature reserve, offering a vision of hope in Christ’s name to a country recovering from civil war. In Singapore, a local church embraces the call to creation care, modelling attractive holistic community to its neighbourhood. As followers of Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father, will we step out joyfully as His agents of hope?
Further reading Bell, Colin, and Robert White, eds. Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2016.
Through the cross, Christ accomplished holistic reconciliation, reconciling people to God, to one another and to the earth (Col 1:18–20). Through His resurrection, we receive assurance that the fullness of this reconciliation will become a visible global reality when Christ returns.
Ko, Lawrence. From the Desert to the City: Christians in Creation Care. Singapore: Ethos Institute, 2020.
Discipleship application: the ministry of reconciliation
Wright, Chris. The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.
We wait eagerly with hope for Christ’s return. When
Ong, Melissa, and Prartini Selveindren, eds. God’s Gardeners: Creation Care Stories from Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore: Graceworks, 2020.
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Home ¢ Dr Ernest Chew is an Advisory Elder of Bethesda (Frankel Estate) Church, and serves on the boards of several Christian and other organisations. He taught at the University of Singapore/NUS, where he was Head of the History Department and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He is an Associate Senior Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. / Photos courtesy of Dr Ernest Chew
What I owe the Methodists ACS’s first home was at a rented shophouse on Amoy Street (left). Later, it moved to Coleman Street (facing page) to accommodate the rapidly-increasing enrolment
The writer’s granduncle, Goh Hood Keng, the first minister of the Straits Chinese Methodist Church at Kampong Kapor
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umanly and historically speaking, I owe my life to the Methodists. My paternal grandmother, Tan Siok Kim, was an early convert of the Methodist mission in Malacca. Advised by Mrs Emma Shellabear, she started to teach a class at her home. It grew to become the Methodist Girls’ School (MGS), Melaka. As she insisted that her husband should be a Christian, the Shellabears played matchmakers and introduced Chew Cheng Yong, an Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) teacher from Singapore, to the Tan family. On 30 Dec 1905, with William Shellabear officiating, Siok Kim was first baptised and then married to Cheng Yong. Cheng Yong later assisted Dr Shellabear in his translation of the New Testament into Baba Malay. Siok Kim’s second sister, Swee Loo, married Goh Hood Keng, another ACS teacher, who became the pastor of the Straits Chinese Methodist Church (1912–51), which is now Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (MC). Her third sister, Swee Eng, married ACS alumnus Goh Leng Inn. They were the parents of Dr Goh Keng Swee. They were a Methodist family. In October 1907, Siok Kim gave birth to a son, Benjamin. Benjamin Chew, my father, was converted at an ACS chapel service when he heard a message by Dr Eli Stanley Jones, an American Methodist missionary to India. He became a medical doctor, a pioneer in treating tuberculosis (TB), as well as a Christian Brethren Bible teacher leading various interdenominational organisations. He was Chairman of the Singapore Billy Graham Crusade in 1978, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore (EFOS).
The writer’s paternal grandparents, Tan Siok Kim (left) and Chew Cheng Yong
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Like my father and grandfather, I studied at ACS Coleman Street, before going to ACS Barker Road. My wife Aileen and I attended pre-university classes at ACS Barker Road. Our sons are fourth-generation ACSians, having received their education at ACS Coleman Street, then Barker Road, and Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC). Our daughter studied at MGS and ACJC. We all owe a substantial part of our education to ACS!
I remember hearing two outstanding Methodists preach from the pulpit when I worshipped at Bethesda (Katong). They were the Rev Goh Hood Keng, my granduncle, and Pastor Chan Wah Teck of Bedok MC. Granduncle always began his sermons with the words, “I have chosen for my text…” They and other guest speakers brought us God’s timely messages. When I became an academic—teaching History at the University of Singapore/NUS for 40 years—I was in contact with the first two Methodist Church in Singapore archivists, Bishop T. R. Doraisamy and Mr Earnest Lau (my former ACS History teacher). It was Bishop Doraisamy who gave me a copy of Shellabear’s autobiographical transcript, which mentions his relationship with my grandparents. My personal involvement in interdenominational organisations has brought cherished friendships with many Methodists. Through Campus Crusade (now Cru), I got to know the Rev Dr Victor Koh, the Rev Dr Chan Chong Hiok and Dr Harold Robers. Through the Billy Graham Crusade and EFOS, I have enjoyed fellowship with the Rev Dr Alfred Yeo, Dr Khoo Oon Teik, the Rev Dr George Wan, and (more recently) Dr Foo Fung Fong and Dr Calvin Chong.
When St Luke’s Hospital (SLH) was opened in 1996, my church Bethesda (Frankel Estate) and Wesley MC were foundation members. I had already known its first medical director, Dr Eileen Aw, and her husband Swee Eng through the Varsity and the Graduates’ Christian Fellowships. Through SLH, I became acquainted with Mr Indra Jeyaraj, Dr Danny Ng and Miss Tan Bee Ker (Wesleyans) and the Rev Goh Aik Hiang (Queenstown CMC), as well as leaders of Oasis Preaching Point, which uses the SLH Chapel for its services, and Barker Road MC. My church has had the privilege of hosting Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon in our pulpit for two decades. His ministry and that of other guest speakers link us to the wider Body of Christ in Singapore and around the world. As John Wesley testified, “The world is my parish”! Our ultimate debt is to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Because of Him, we owe a debt to preach His Gospel and to love others as He loved us (Rom 1:14–17 and 13:8–10). I am also grateful to the Methodists who exemplified and continue to exemplify that love to my family and me.
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News ¢ Choo Lai Eng is the President of TRAC WSCS Exco. Angela Goh is the D&N coordinator for TRAC WSCS. / Photo courtesy of TRAC WSCS and Daniel Lie
ASIAN YOUNG WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
What is my purpose?
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hree dozen young ladies from Singapore and nine other Asian countries gathered to ponder over this question: “What is my purpose?” They were participants of the annual Asian Young Women’s Leadership Development (AYWLD) seminar, which aims to grow young women into global leaders with strong passion and vision by exposing them to diverse cultures, communities and leadership initiatives. In 2020, TRAC WSCS had the privilege of hosting the seminar from 13 to 17 Feb at Pentecost Methodist Church (MC) and Changi Village Hotel. The seminar’s theme verse was: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Prov 19:21). This verse proved prophetic as the seminar was held during the COVID-19 epidemic. As the host, we struggled between trusting God and being socially responsible—to cancel or not to cancel? We are thankful for the unwavering support of our Bishop, TRAC President and pastor-in-charge of Pentecost MC. Our pre-booked accommodation was designated as quarantine facilities, but alternative lodgings were quickly offered. When Mrs Dorothy Chan (Far East Organisation) agreed to partially sponsor the additional costs, the committee saw that as confirmation from God to proceed. Thirty-five participants, together with four trainers from the Wesley Foundation, Japan, and Scranton Women’s Leadership Centre, Korea, attended the seminar. Together with guests, we gathered for the opening service on 13 Feb. Taking all precautions to ensure the health and safety of the participants, we gave thanks that nothing hindered His children from coming to hear Him.
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A multicultural gala dinner
Throughout the five days, the young ladies considered what God’s purpose was for their lives. God spoke through His servants: the Rev Dr Heasun Kim; the Rev Hikari Kokai Chang; Ps Irene Thung; Ps Wendy Tay–Sim; Mayor Denise Phua; and Mrs Junie Foo. The ladies learnt about local social issues relating to ageing, sex and migrant workers. Visits to organisations such as Tamar Village left a lasting impression. Feedback from participants revealed that they were greatly encouraged and challenged throughout the programme. These young future leaders learnt about women missionaries and how each generation’s efforts build on earlier work. Camaraderie was built through fun activities, breaking down differences in nationality and cultures. There was safety in being able to share openly and to question without fear of being rejected. Participants were also inspired by the organisers’ efforts and determination to ensure the seminar proceeded smoothly. We thank God for leading and being with us. May the young women continue to fan the flame He ignited in their lives!
“My heart is filled to the brim after five days!” —Cindy, TRAC
“We shared, we cried, we worshipped, we learnt. His love was above all the struggles, happiness and difficult moments.” —Jasmine, ETAC
“In the midst of the world facing COVID-19, we thank God for providing the seminar.” —participant from Vietnam
METHODIST MESSAGE April 2020
News ¢ Jimaia Wong is a member of pastoral team at Faith Methodist Church, overseeing missions. She enjoys engaging in life-giving conversations, even when the language is not one she can speak fluently. / Photos courtesy of Faith Methodist Church
Appreciating the unseen
One of the Faith MC caretakers receiving her token of appreciation from the Rev Raymond Fong
“Auntie, jiak ba buay?” That’s my best attempt at making conversation with one of the aunties in our cleaning staff. If the conversation goes on beyond that, I’ll have to steal glances at my co-workers to help me out as my Hokkien really “cannot make it”. Auntie Ah Keow is one of the friendly faces who keep our church premises and offices clean. We have a team of six regular caretakers who are deployed by the cleaning company to take care of and maintain our church premises. Some of them have been with us for more than 10 years. They work behind the scenes yet their presence is essential to the church. So when my co-worker Rachel suggested showing appreciation to our team of caretakers, I immediately thought it such a great idea. Especially during this season, when the church is in full gear putting in place the precautionary measures for COVID-19, we count on our caretakers who tirelessly keep our premises clean and disinfected. We rallied some of our co-workers who contributed towards the packing of a pack to present to each of our caretakers as a token of our appreciation.
Appreciating the Faith MC cleaners
We filled the packs with wellness products like eye masks, Vitamin C effervescent tablets, hand cream and also a supermarket voucher for them to get their favourite snack. We even had a small ceremony when our Pastor-in-Charge, the Rev Raymond Fong, gave out the packs to our caretakers while my co-workers and I cheered them on. Some of them were shy to be in the limelight but none of them failed to smile when they receive the pack. Even as we each have our own role in this battle against COVID-19, I was reminded that there are many who have worked and continue to work behind the scenes to keep us safe. It is the many parts that make up the one body.
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News ¢ Joash Lee is the Media Executive at Faith Methodist Church when he isn’t shooting street photography, or playing soccer or volleyball. He is also a diehard Man U fan. / Photo courtesy of Faith Methodist Church
The power of media in a Church
S
ince the first live streaming session for our Watchnight Service 2017, the video team at Faith MC has grown steadily.
In the last quarter of 2019, in order to improve the skills of the team, we planned more multi-cam setups and began training the crew more purposefully by recording monthly sermons by our Pastor-in-Charge, the Rev Raymond Fong, and posting them on social media. By the time MOH declared DORSCON Orange on 7 Feb 2020, this year, the media operations aspect was in place and our video crew were ready. The leadership decided to live stream one service per week for members of our congregation who might have been quarantined, were unwell or preferred not to come to church for service. When COVID-19 struck, Faith was one of the few churches who had the infrastructure in place by then. Our team decided to invite the staff from other Methodist churches to a sharing session on how to live stream church services. We knew that a few churches were struggling to support their Sunday Service live streaming needs due to a lack of manpower and expertise. We initially expected around 20 people, but on 20 Feb 2020, nearly 80 people from 51 denominational and independent churches showed up! Many were planning to live stream their church services for the very first time.
Live stream training on 20 Feb 2020
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God, in His sovereign way, had prepared the Faith media crew for this purpose. Over the last two years, our volunteer recruitment, training sessions and acquisition of equipment had led us to where we could now share our experience with other churches and support them. Through this outbreak, I see communities forming, and people connecting across churches. I am truly humbled by how God is moving in our country. I am equally touched to know of some new friends who have expressed interest in maintaining fellowship even after this virus blows over, just to grow together and build a media community across denominations. This is exactly what the Body of Christ should look like— helping one another in times of need and fellowshipping with others from different denominations—because we worship the same God. We are indeed blessed to be a blessing! Main topics shared during the 20 Feb session: •
licensing matters with regard to live streaming
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camera and other equipment
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backend to live streaming; the ins and outs; technical requirements
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broadcast messaging tips for the church using WhatsApp and Telegram
Welfare Services ¢ By the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) Communications Team / Photo courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services
AS A METHODIST FAMILY, WE CAN MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT!
Family of five spirals into debt after accident
M
r Yong TK, a father of three, used to run a bak kut teh stall at a hawker centre. While business was not brisk, he made enough to support his family. Tragically, he met with an accident and sustained chronic neck and spine injuries, which affected his ability to sit or stand for long periods. Unable to find full-time employment, the 55-year-old currently works at an ad-hoc job that pays only one third of what he used to make. With the reduced income, Mr Yong found it difficult to make ends meet and had to borrow from the bank for his family’s daily expenses, his medical treatment and his eldest son’s education. He struggled to pay his bills on time and in full, and ended up accumulating arrears. The financial strain caused him to feel extremely stressed. Mr Yong was referred to Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) by Hakka MC and placed on the MWS Family Development Programme. With guidance and encouragement from a volunteer, he has since been consistent in paying his bills on time and repaying his bank loan. Mr Yong was determined to clear all outstanding debts and save for his family’s future. He is now going on to the second year on the programme and working towards savings matching where every dollar he saves is matched by MWS with $2, enabling him to build his emergency fund more quickly.
A row of rental flats that some lowincome households, like Mr Yong and his family, call home
Make a difference with a donation that will be used to better the lives of disadvantaged families. We are appealing for either a regular contribution of $1 a day ($30 monthly), or any amount that you can
Expressing appreciation for the support from MWS and the Hakka MC volunteers, Mr Yong said: “I’m very grateful for the help that MWS has given us. Without your help, our life will be tougher. Now with your help, we feel at ease and less stressed. Our financial situation has also become better.”
give monthly. You can also choose to make a one-time donation.
Help families weighed down by debts and costs of everyday living Many of the families MWS serves are households from the bottom 10 per cent income group who are struggling with the costs of daily living. In celebration of the 135th anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore, MWS aims to bless 1,000 families with $1.35 million of financial assistance. Each family will receive $1,350 over a period of one year. As a Methodist family, let us give generously to help families weighed down by debts and costs of everyday living.
Visit thegivingmethodist.sg or scan the QR code to find out more.
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Registration at our Columbarium OďŹƒce (Level 5) Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm (Closed on Public Holidays). Tel: 6479 8122 HP: 9670 9935 or Fax: 6479 6960 Email: veronicalowjmc@yahoo.com.sg
Missions ¢ Carol Ong is a missionary with MMS serving in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Her home church is Toa Payoh Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Carol Ong
The children celebrating Carol’s birthday Sunday Worship Service in progress
THE THIRD PLACE
O
ne of the challenges to missions is to continue to be relevant to the needs of the people to whom we are ministering. In Cambodia, the setting up of The Third Place exemplifies our ministry to reach out to young women and equip them with livelihood skills. Preceding The Third Place, the Emmaus Women’s Centre (EWC) was set up in 2000. Supported by GC WSCS and our partner churches, EWC provided skills training and discipleship programmes for the young women. But with the changing dynamics of the economic situation in Cambodia, employment opportunities have presented a challenge to the viability of continuing our ministry at EWC. Greater opportunities led to declining figures in EWC and, in March 2018, it ceased operations. However, there was still the need to reach out to the young women. Since the young women were not coming to us, the alternative was to go to where they are! This resulted in the birth of The Third Place. Odem is a town in Phnom Penh that stood out as an ideal locus for ministry and church-planting as the area is teeming with factories—a great harvest field. Moreover, there was initially no Methodist presence. Thus, The Third Place was set up in August 2018. In Sep 2018, English and Chinese enrichment classes for children and adults were started, thus expanding our reach not just to women, but to families as well. To bless the community, various community activities were conducted in partnership with mission teams: a cultural exchange programme; health checks cum health talks; a beauty care workshop; a Khmer New Year party cum Easter celebration; and a Christmas programme. In Nov 2018, we started Sunday worship services, and the children from our enrichment classes joined the Sunday
morning children’s programme. In Jan 2019, volunteers from our Post COSI Integration Programme (PCOSIIP) came to assist in the children’s ministry, enabling the PCOSIIP youth to have a place to worship as they serve. We were also blessed with a Bible-trained pastor, Theng Tharoath, who, along with his family, is now actively involved in engaging the community to transform lives. It has been about a year and a half since The Third Place was started. It is now a community of believers whose task is to shine the light of Jesus and draw others to Him. As with any church planting endeavour, there have been challenges. Factory workers are transient, children are limited by parental boundaries and, culturally, people will only go where their immediate tangible needs can be most met. Odem is riddled with social ills like drinking, gambling, drugs and people with undesirable influences. A thrift shop was recently started with the hope that we will be able to befriend more people, share God’s love and bless the community. The task before us is tremendous. As God has called us to shine His light and bring about positive life-changing transformation, we are confident that His presence and provision will follow. We started in faith, believing that God will provide and prosper our ministry. From reaching out to young women, we are now able to reach out to families with life-changing experiences and to transform the community in Odem.
•
Pray for our missionaries at The Third Place
•
Pray that the lives of the families will be changed and community transformed
If you are interested to help in this ministry, please contact MMS at mms@methodist.org.sg .
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You & Your Family ¢ 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, received in 2011, and is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
What’s in a name?
A
mid the emerging global health crisis, an intense discussion may have gone unnoticed. Whilst the larger part of the scientific community were busy trying to understand how the novel coronavirus is spread or to develop a vaccine, others were trying to find a name for it. Finally, on 11 Feb 2020, the World Health Organisation decided on the name COVID-19. What is in a name, one may wonder? Names are more than a play of words or mere semantics. In counselling, we know that words have a big part to play in describing the client’s experience of a problem and in identifying its possible resolution. Yet, words can mean one thing to the user and another to the listener. When a person says there is “no point carrying on”, is he saying that he feels a sense of hopelessness or that he intends to end his life, or perhaps both? Take the instance when a spouse hears her husband describe his betrayal as a “mistake” or an “indiscretion”, she may feel that he is downplaying his actions. Instead of helping the situation, his attempt to acknowledge his wrongdoing can spark a round of angry exchange. However, an apt name can also be liberating—such as when a victim of domestic violence hears that what she has been experiencing is called spousal abuse. Although some are initially shocked by such a term, many have felt validated that their sense of outrage at being the recipient of such behaviour is finally acknowledged. With such recognition of their experience, they can begin the journey to recovery. This involves starting from being a person who cannot find a name for her experience to recognising that she is a victim to finally moving to be a survivor of family violence. As important as it was to find a name for our current crisis and challenges, perhaps greater is the importance of remembering the name for its resolution. In the midst of our worries, where do we turn to for help? The Psalmist reminds us that our help ultimately comes from “the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:1). As we act responsibly and practise good personal hygiene, let us also remember to call on the name of the Lord, remembering too that one of His Names is Jehovah Rapha, meaning “the Lord who heals”. May this name remind us that we have a God who can bring ultimate healing and wholeness to body, mind and spirit.
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Hymns & Songs ¢ Judith Laoyan-Mosomos is the Director for Worship and Church Music at the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
CHRISTO VIVE (Christ is Risen)
Christo Vive (Christ Is Risen) (UMH 313)
Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia. This Easter Greeting points us to the memorial acclamation that we proclaim during Holy Communion: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! and brings us back to the Resurrection story. This hymn retells that story. The first stanza alludes to Matthew 28—Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary” were distraught when they found the tomb empty. They were shocked to see an angel who told them, “Do not be afraid, Jesus has risen!” The angel sent the women to convey this message to the disciples. On their way, the women met Jesus, who told them to go and tell “his brothers” in Galilee where He would be also. How does the second stanza relate to us as Christians? Paul’s resurrection texts (Rom 6:4; Rom 8:11; Eph 2:5–6; Phil 3:10; Col 2:12; Col 3:1) help us understand this. Christ was raised, and we are raised with him. As we are risen with Christ, we are spiritually formed. We die to sin and rise to be a new people together. We then find ourselves in a world where we are called to live the resurrection together as a community. In Living the Resurrection, Eugene Peterson explains that Jesus’ resurrection “brings our lives into the operations of the gospel and gives spiritual formation its energy and character”.1
Christ is risen, Christ is living, dry your tears, be unafraid! Death and darkness could not hold him, nor the tomb in which he lay. Do not look among the dead for one who lives for evermore; tell the world that Christ is risen, make it known he goes before. If the Lord had never risen, we’d have nothing to believe; but his promise can be trusted: “You will live, because I live.” As we share the death of Adam, so in Christ we live again; death has lost its sting and terror, Christ the Lord has come to reign. Death has lost its old dominion, let the world rejoice and shout! Christ, the firstborn of the living, gives us life and leads us out.
Stanza three of the hymn tells us to celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Easter is the most crucial event of the Christian year. It is this victory that shapes our beliefs, and should cause us to go out, sing, be thankful, be hopeful and live as Christ lives in us. Fred Kaan (1929–2009) translated this hymn to English. Pablo Sosa (1933– 2020) composed the music. Both lived their lives singing the resurrection story. True to the themes of “hope” and “life” brought forth by this hymn, Fred Kaan is known to have written and translated hymn texts that address issues on human rights and social concerns: hymns that encourage congregations about hope in God’s works and faithfulness towards His creation. Sosa, on the other hand, was an advocate of global hymnody. He wrote tunes that crossed the barriers of culture and denomination. He inspired local churches to sing songs with understanding, empathy and compassion for the varied situations of people from which the songs originate. Both Kaan and Sosa enlivened congregational singing through their passionate writing and teaching.
Let us thank our God, who causes hope to spring up from the ground. Christ is risen, Christ is giving life eternal, life profound. Words: Nicolás Martinez, 1960; trans. by Fred Kaan, 1972 Music: Pablo D. Sosa, 1960
1 Eugene Peterson, Living the Resurrection (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 103–11.
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TRAC Bible Matters ¢ Daniel Lee is a member of Paya Lebar Methodist Church. After working in the public sector and as pastoral staff, he is now completing his final year of the Master of Divinity programme at Trinity Theological College.
DOES THE BIBLE TELL EARTH’S AGE?
G
enesis 1 has been interpreted to mean that God created the world in six 24-hour days. Taking Adam to be created in that first week and adding up from all the Old Testament genealogies, Earth would then be only about 6,000 years old. On the other hand, modern science has produced evidence supporting a much older Earth. For instance, cosmological evidence gives Earth an age of billions of years while geological evidence suggests homo sapiens have existed for at least 200,000 years. This has placed Christians in a seemingly intractable dilemma: either believe the Bible, or believe science. A number of ways to reconcile biblical text and scientific data have been offered. One is to stretch the definition of each “day” in Genesis 1 to mean possibly millions and billions of years. But while the Hebrew word for “day” is sometimes used metaphorically to denote a long period of time, in Genesis 1 we are contextually bound by the week of seven “days” to the usual 24-hour definition. Thus, by virtue of sound biblical interpretation, this approach is not satisfactory. Another way is based on an alternative reading “the earth became formless and void”, instead of the usual “the earth was formless and void” (Gen 1:2). This potentially creates a ‘gap’ of any number of years between the initial creation in Genesis 1:1 and a week-long reconstruction in the next
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verse. But since there is no prior mention of the earth’s condition, “became” is difficult to justify. Supporters of this ‘gap’ theory also appeal to destruction by Satan after he was banished from heaven as the cause for reconstruction of the formless void earth, but these are indirect inferences based on the already-tenuous “became” reading. Thus, this billion-year “gap” is also unsatisfactory for reconciling the Bible’s creation story with science. The above approaches have attempted, unsuccessfully, to work within a literal understanding of the text to reconcile it with scientific data. There is, however, good reason to reexamine if Genesis 1 should be read literally in the first place. Not everything is to be taken literally in the Bible: clearly, Jesus did not command that we literally remove our eyes and hands when we sin (c.f. Matt 5:29–30). There is thus room for metaphor in the Bible. Reading Genesis 1 must already cause the modern mind to wonder if it should be understood literally. For example, how is day and night (created on Day 1) to be demarcated without the sun and moon (Day 4)? How is the sky a solid firmament (Gen 1:6–8, 17)? How was the “earth” created on Day 3 (Gen 1:10) different from the formless and void “earth” (Gen 1:2)? In light of this, it is difficult to justify that Genesis 1 is a scientific document. But if Genesis 1 were non-literal, what is the significance of this metaphor? In the first three days, God separated
and formed. In the next three days, He adorned and filled. Light (day 1) corresponds to the luminaries (day 4); sky and waters (day 2) correspond to birds and fishes (day 5); land and vegetation (day 3) correspond to terrestrial creatures (day 6). All this signifies the order and beauty in the way God created the cosmos. Humanity was created in His image, as God’s preeminent creature and His co-regent to steward and care over the rest of creation. On the final day God rested—not because He was tired, but as a celebration of His sovereign victory and a Sabbath sign for His people to rest on the last day of the week.
Ultimately, the Bible was written to present us not with scientific facts, but with theological truths. Thus, it is not reasonable to expect the Bible to answer scientific questions, because the Bible and science fundamentally deal with different realms of knowledge. While science is operative only in
and geography, we must look to the Bible to tell us about God, the human soul and why we exist. But are we then conceding our faith to modern science? How can we still claim the Bible as our highest and final authority? Firstly, by recognising that science is a function of the human intellect, and humans can be wrong; but the Bible is never wrong on matters of God. Secondly, science cannot account for all truth; for example, “I love you” can neither be proven nor explained by the scientific method. Finally, science has no instructions for holy living, but the Bible pierces our hearts and meets our souls’ needs, and our lives can be transformed when we know the sovereign God who made us in His image, and gave us order and rest. In affirming the Bible’s utmost authority over our lives, we must allow it to speak with its own voice—by diligently seeking the best interpretive strategy for the various genres of its texts.
the material realm, the Bible mainly speaks of the unseen realm of God and the human heart.
Accordingly, Christians need not reject science wholesale, but should seek God’s help to rightly discern which authority should be used to answer different questions. Just as we look to science to inform us about smartphones, medicines
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Methodist Church in Singapore. This version of the article has been edited for brevity. The full article can be found at http://www. trac-mcs.org.sg/index.php/resources/bible-matters/26-resources/242does-the-bible-tell-us.
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Soundings ¢ Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor at the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity (http://ethosinstitute.sg)
Christus Victor “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.
L
ast September, my wife and I visited for the first time the famous Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Germany, where the greatest Baroque composer, Johann Sabastian Bach (1685–1750), served as Thomaskantor. The Russian Orthodox theologian, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, himself an accomplished composer, describes Bach as a “universal phenomenon” whose music “transcends confessional boundaries”.1
I have long admired the work of this Lutheran composer who has given the world some of the most beautiful and theologically rich cantatas ever composed, and I have written a number of essays on his work. In this brief article, I would like to highlight the theme of Christus Victor (Christ the Victor) in Bach’s oeuvre by focussing especially on his majestic Passion According to Saint John (BWV 245) and the Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). Following Luther, Bach makes it very clear that our deliverance from the bondage to sin and death is made possible only by the sacrifice that Christ willingly made at Calvary. If Christ had chosen not to offer His life for our salvation, we would forever be lost. Thus, in the middle of the trial in the Saint John Passion, when Pilate, who found no fault in Jesus, sought to release him, the chorus sings: Through your imprisonment, Son of God, has our freedom come; your prison is a throne of grace, the refuge of all pious men; if you had not become a servant, our servitude would have lasted for ever. The most moving part of the Passion is surely the narration of the death of
Jesus on the cross. The Evangelist in the recitativo simply announces: “And He bowed His head, and gave up His ghost.” As the lifeless body of the Messiah hung limp on the cross of Calvary, a torrent of questions floods the mind. These are captured in great bass solo that follows immediately: My dear Saviour, let me ask you, now you are nailed to the cross and yourself have said: It is finished, am I free from death? Can I through your pain and dying reach Heaven? Is the whole world redeemed? This aria ends with these words: “You can, for pain, say nothing, / yet you nod your head / and say, in silence, yes.” The chorus immediately proclaims the resurrection: “Jesus, you were dead, / now you live for ever.” This has prompted Jaroslav Pelikan to assert that “in the Saint John Passion the resurrection is an integral part of the story, for it was through Good Friday (when the Saint John was intended to be sung) and Easter, taken together as a single action, that ‘Christus Victor’ had conquered.”2 Bach’s Easter Oratorio begins with an invitation to rush to Jesus’ tomb, not in sadness, but in joy because Christ has risen: Come, haste and run, O nimble feet; Go to the cave which shelters Jesus. May laughter and cheerfulness Come with your hearts, For our salvation has been raised from the dead. Unlike the Passions which follow the account of the Gospel, the Easter Oratorio improvises, creating conversations that are not found in the Synoptics. But the main theme of Christus Victor clearly resonates throughout.
Towards the end of the Oratorio, Bach puts these triumphant words onto the lips of the apostle John: We rejoice Because our Jesus lives again, And our hearts, Just now dissolved, immersed in sadness, Forget pain, And set their sights on songs of joy; For now our Saviour lives again. But it is the concluding chorus that really brings out this leitmotif: Praise and thanks Shall always be, O Lord, Your song of praise. Hell and the Devil have been overcome, Their gates have been destroyed. Rejoice, O tongues of the redeemed, So that it will be heard in Heaven Open, O heavens, your glorious vaults, The lion of Judah victorious approaches. As we celebrate Easter, let us renew our faith in our Saviour and Lord who has vanquished sin, death and the devil. And as we continue to fight the fight of faith, let us pray this prayer (from the Saint John Passion) that we too may share in the victory of our Lord: Help us, Christ, Almighty Son of God By Thy bitter anguish Faithfully our course to run, Every sin to vanquish; Teach us, Lord, Thy grace to know, Guide our weak endeavour, Our Redeemer’s praise To show thankfully for ever.
1 Hilarion Alfeyev, “Music and Faith in My Life and Vision”, https://president.catholic.edu/archive/ inauguration/hilarion-alfeyev.html#Full_text. 2 Jaroslav Pelikan, Bach Among the Theologians (Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1986), 115.
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Home ¢ Rachel Tham is the Communications Executive on the staff team of Faith Methodist Church. She believes in the power of media to spark revival in the Methodist Church.
I
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being a Me thodis t mea n to y ou?
’ve b een to and e d u c l d t h at w a ha ti as di s c i p l o n , o u r c t s et s M e ine a ultur thod e nd th is r i f t , a of m u s i c t s a p a r t Wha from mon a t this nd t g ot h o me Scho er th he arts, a ther den ol, w ans to m i n n d g s. hich e, on o u r p o m i n at i o My h taug rincip n a pe ome h r t me l es i n s i s o u r h sona churc and l t erit s o l t e ated h be p the j ure a vel, is fam by Jo age of sc oy of is Alders hn W n h g i d ly. I g at havin At Fa esley ools rew g m y e MC , w h o n e s t , a ith M , s u h uch n p scho e in Fa C, I c effor ol, ch re I’ve e d not de irfiel an tr ts to p x u a p d r u rt erien ch, a ly se be g ob je nd e ced a from the Methodis ood ctive ven stew e God’s f t uthe s, ev see t s a a e ntic f ways I w Primary ithfu rds o en if cu l a r h at t l r a n f i y s s e e t o o h n he ch ss an tr u do cial c es e b d n d ble urch ircles ship and ained to ssing is a f ’t know e lessings. go. c i n omm My p t e a s rsect veryo And mily. on th rayer unity w . n h e e , fo r u en th but a c in th s Me e chu hurch th re al e con t l r h r o g part o d i st Singa ch bo u rega o s is t tion pore dy co gh the y o rea on a , we f one Me e m es As w l t p h i h se th toge ars, and e rem erson ave i its t at w h m m e o d i st C h u a emb er l leve e mi rc n er an l, you for His ght a Happ d cel se poten h. And to can r ttend t ebra y 13 eally w te ou ial for ou gether, a 5th b s one orship s r her treac e itage h an irthd r o v f i ces i the l d bri , l et ay, M n a ngin it mo g Go rgest den different CS! tivat d l o c at omin e us ’s lov ions, towa a e to our n tions in rd th e mi e i g h ssion b ahea ours. d.
Book Review ¢ Sheri Goh is the Editor of Methodist Message. / Book visuals courtesy of Graceworks
GOD’S GARDENERS: Creation Care Stories from Singapore and Malaysia
H
ow do we show love and stewardship for God’s creation in one of the world’s most densely built-up cities? God’s Gardeners— “Singapore’s first book on creation care” —is a collection of essays that shows how we can start, no matter what our walk in life might be.
God’s Gardeners: Creation Care Stories from Singapore and Malaysia Edited by Melissa Ong and Prarthini M. Selveindran Published by Graceworks (2020), 168 pages
The book, edited by Melissa Ong and Prarthini M. Selveindran, consists of essays by writers affiliated with A Rocha (an international network of environmental organisations with a Christian ethos) as well as others from a range of specialties, such as ecology and conservation, the food and service industry, management, transport, media and even theology. The book’s underlying message is that the stewardship of God’s creation is the responsibility of, and can be undertaken by, everyone—not just in their day jobs, but in their world views.
ORDER AT https://graceworks.com.sg $16 (e-book; no GST); $20 (paperback; no GST, free shipping within Singapore) Enjoy 10% off the price of God’s Gardeners by using the promo code gg10 at the webstore’s checkout page (valid from 1–30 Apr 2020).
Creation care can be traced back to role that God appointed Adam in the Garden of Eden. God’s command to love our neighbours as ourselves involves recognising that how we treat “the natural environment has tangible impact on others’ welfare, especially the poor and disadvantaged whom we desire to look out for”. Social responsibility (incidentally also one of Methodism’s
social principles) is thus a biblical driving force behind creation care. The book is not prescriptive—the authors realise that “there is not one fixed way to ‘do’ creation care” and show us there are a myriads of ways to manifest it in our careers and daily lives. Dr Goh Wei Leong and the Rev Lam Kuo Yung from Katong Presbyterian Church write about how they made the effort to do so in their church renovation project and the running of their church. Reuben Ang discusses how he does so in the food industry by responsibly addressing the issues of waste management in his catering company. Mary-Ruth Low works on fruit bat conservation in the NGO where she is employed. They, as do all the book’s writers, do what they do because of their love for God and His creation. The book is timely in the light of increasing awareness of the climate crisis our planet is facing. Its essays are divided with interludes before each of the broad sections of “Ecology”, “Beauty”, “Dominion”, “Shalom” and “St Francis”, bookended with a biblicallygrounded Preface and Afterword. It includes further reading and action points for those who desire to explore its topics in greater depth.
THINK ¢ Edric Sng is the editor of Thir.st, a digital discipleship and outreach platform seeking to transform a generation, one story at a time.
COVID-19 and the valley of decision THE UNBEARABLE PRESSURE YOUR SENIOR PASTOR IS UNDER
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aybe your church is running worship services this weekend, and you’re not happy about it. Is that really the wisest decision at such a time? Or maybe your church isn’t running services, and you’re not happy about that. What does the Bible say about not giving up on gathering? It’s easy to be critical, but try to imagine the weight of decision-making responsibility resting on every senior pastor’s shoulders right now. You’re criticised if you do, and criticised if you don’t. No senior pastor, at this point into COVID-19, is taking the easy way out. Going ahead or cancelling services involves making a decision that takes immense courage. Health and life are at stake. But so is the faith and all we stand for. Cancelling services is not an act for the cowardly—we all know the recrimination that might follow. It takes equal boldness to decide to carry on. How does it feel like to be the leader making the decision? I think about the moment Elijah calls Elisha to leave his family and serve the Lord. As soon as Elisha rushes off to say goodbye to his family, Elijah quietly acknowledges the gravity of that which he has asked Elisha to do, in 1 Kings 19:20: “What have I done to you?” Church leaders experience this to a much gentler degree on a day-to-day basis. We call believers to step out of their comfort zone into a life of surrender and sacrifice. But the senior pastor who now draws from his faith convictions and asks members to keep coming to church despite the risks posed by COVID-19—a decision that many in the world might not understand—will surely be feeling the gravity of his decision.
This should not be a reason to condemn, and not a basis on which to judge a church’s “faith levels”. As NCCS President Terry Kee reminded us, believers should refrain from comparing why some churches choose to close some services or programmes while others may not. Different churches have different considerations, such as the demographics of attendees or members’ known exposure to confirmed COVID-19 cases. These decisions are being made in a situation that many members of this generation of Christians have not experienced in their time as church leaders.
a man full of faith, but I’m sure he had his human doubts. Is this the right decision? How much risk am I exposing my people to? Then he gets to the tribes who, frankly, have the least to gain from the battle— the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the halftribe of Manasseh, who were promised allotments outside of the land of conquest. If I were Joshua, I’d have my doubts about this group. But they instead reply:
All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we
No matter how confident or convicted your senior pastor looks as he or she announces your church’s stand—carry on or cancel—know that behind that decision was surely much agonising and maybe even self-doubt. What if I make the wrong call on this? Did I really hear the Holy Spirit right?
obeyed Moses in all things, so
This is no time to criticise and denounce your church leader’s decision. Now, more than ever, is the time to rally around the leaders of your church, whatever they decide. They need your prayer, your trust and your support.
courageous! ” (Josh 1:16–18)
Understand the spiritual principle: Your leaders are appointed by God (Rom 13:1– 5), and you submit to them as if you are submitting to God. Resist them, and you resist God. But, equally, understand the human dynamic: Leaders need encouragement and affirmation as they made the tough decisions on your behalf, knowing that they are accountable for your life (Heb 13:17).
He or she will be wrestling within himself, with each person that comes through the Sanctuary door triggering that unspoken doubt: “What have I done to you?”
Consider the psyche of Joshua as he takes over the leadership of the Israelites upon Moses’ death. A next-generation leader, well-known for being a faithful aide to Moses, but for the first time coming into his own in making the big decisions. The words of God and Moses echo in his spirit: Be strong and courageous.
Some church leaders have chosen to suspend their services for now. Some Christian events have been called off.
But now it is time for battle, and this new leader is about to call on his people to put their lives on the line. We know Joshua is
we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and
After 40 years of grumbling and disobedience the people finally understood. God leads through His leaders (Judges 5:2). God reveals His plans to His prophets (Amos 3:7). God sets the example through His elders (1 Cor 11:1, Heb 13:7). These are tough times for you, because you worry about your life as the threat of illness looms. How much more so is that pressure for the senior pastor, when the lives of many rest in the decisions he or she will make. Consider not criticism, but encouragement. Go up to your senior pastor in church this weekend, or drop him a message now, saying: I’m with you, 100 per cent, whatever the church decides. Only may the Lord our God be with you. Only be strong and courageous. This article was originally published at https://thir.st/blog/covid-19-and-the-valleyof-decision-the-unbearable-pressure-yoursenior-pastor-is-under
