Methodist Message: February 2019

0129-6868MCI MCI (P) ISSNISSN 0129-6868 (P)019/11/2017 057/11/2018

Vol 121 No 2 • FEB 2019

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this issue...

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World Methodism Bringing hope to war widows in Sri Lanka

Josephus Tan A prodigal son found

Susannah Wesley Remembering the Mother of Methodism

page 8

pages 12–13

page 15

COMING UP

IN HONOUR OF JESUS CHRIST’S ULTIMATE GIFT TO US

HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GIVING METHODIST 2019 Give Time: Join a community to bless a Methodist church or volunteer at an MWS centre Does your heart beat for children who are disadvantaged, youths-at-risk, or families and elderly living in distress?

Take this first step if you have never volunteered before.

It takes only a few hours of your time. The volunteering experience is an opportunity to share your time and skills and bless those in need. You may also find your own spiritual walk greatly enriched.

• Choose from over 100 volunteering activities run by the Methodist churches and Methodist Welfare Services (MWS). No experience or special skills are needed for most of the simple and flexible activities.

• Feel free to sign up for as many activities as you wish.

Invite friends and family to join you in this meaningful experience!

Give a Donation: Give $1 a day to impact lives daily Did you know that just $1 a day can bring positive change to the disadvantaged? At MWS, we serve over 11,000 beneficiaries across our 19 centres and programmes. Your generous and regular giving will help them live life to the full. Choose to give: • A regular donation from $1 a day ($30 monthly), or • A one-time donation of $365 or other amounts

Give Your Voice: Rally others in support through your words and social networks In this sea of noise and media clutter, those of us who are capable have a duty to speak up for marginalised groups without a voice. Your voice can make a powerful impact.

• Visit the TGM website to download resources and share them on your social media accounts, or create your own!

• Spread awareness of TGM among your church friends and family in social media or through your daily interactions, and even encourage them to sign up!

• Pray and intercede for the beneficiaries and social concerns ministries of your church.

Thank you for walking together as Methodists, alongside the less fortunate.

Proverbs 11:25 “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” n Find out more or sign up now at https://thegivingmethodist.sg/ tgm@mws.sg TheGivingMethodist #thegivingmethodist #iamtgm

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.

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Adviser and Publisher

Dr Anthony Goh, Chairperson Council on Communications Editor Sheri Goh Sub-editor Tan Chiu Ai Editorial Executive Jason Woo

@methodist.sg

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

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 for two quadrennial from 2008 to 2016.

TRADITION FAITH VS.

“T

radition” is a word that is often disparaged as representing what is passé, old-fashioned, impractical, intransigent or rigid. To some, it even connotes superstition, and handing down a tradition is often deemed regressive and propounding of obsoletes.

Some even consider all traditional beliefs to be bad and at odds with Christianity and the gospel.

God has provided a general revelation to humanity, and the goodness, kindness and beauty of human nature found in all cultures reflect some of the characteristics of God, in whose image man was first created.

Some of these qualities are seen in respect for elders, filial piety, love for the family, modesty and courtesy, sincerity and tolerance, and trustworthiness and civic-mindedness.

These find expression in all cultures ranging from the little trifles of daily life such as greeting senior family members to occasions such as weddings and funerals during which protocols and etiquette based on seniority and social status are followed.

Many customs of the Lunar New Year celebrations, for example, contain cultural virtues of propriety in conduct and behaviour. These include the mandatory springcleaning before the Lunar New Year, festive attire, festive delicacies and dishes, greetings, presenting and receiving gifts, paying respect, and celebratory ceremonies for special days during the period.

The reunion dinner on the eve of Lunar New Year emphasises the value of family relationships and cohesion.

In distributing hongbao to the younger generation, the seniors also give their blessing. This practice is a reminder

that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Paying respects and offering festive greetings are forms of sharing our blessings with others. They may even serve to mend some fences. All these are ancient traditions.

Having evolved through the ages, many of the elements that are no longer useful, appropriate or meaningful, as well as those based on superstition have been gradually eliminated. Christians should be encouraged to uphold these fine traditions as long as they do not involve idol or ancestor worship, or contravene the Bible’s teaching, and they glorify God and bless others.

The non-Jews that Paul preached to lived in social environments of Gentile culture, customs and practices.

His exhortation to the Philippian church was to fix their thoughts on what is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable; to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Since Paul must have lived his life this way, he appealed to them to “keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard me and saw me doing.” (Phil 4:8–9) Paul also urged the Corinthians: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews of Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.” (1 Cor 10:31–33) To all our Chinese and non-Chinese fellow believers and friends: Have a blessed Lunar New Year! May the Lord’s peace and joy be with you! n Picture by ThamKC/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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CHURCH PROFILE The Rev Anthony Lee is Pastor-in-Charge of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, TRAC.

ANG MO KIO MC:

A METHODIST FAMILY AFTER GOD’S HEART (left photo) Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung (left) preaching at AMK MC’s 40th anniversary service, with Rev Anthony Lee as interpreter. (right photo) The virtual choir, made up of over 500 members and friends.

A

ng Mo Kio Methodist Church celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2018. To give thanks for God’s faithfulness, three songs were penned and subsequently recorded in our 40th anniversary DVD album.1 We also embarked on an ambitious virtual choir project.

We challenged our congregation over a 4-month period to B.L.E.S.S.2 the people around us. This culminated in a fund-raising dinner from which all the proceeds were given to three charities in the Ang Mo Kio (AMK) community: AWWA Senior Community Home, AMK Family Service Centre and Ren Ci Nursing Home.

These three celebratory projects relate to our church vision: “To be a Methodist Family after God’s Heart”.

The early Methodists were a singing people, and it is wonderful that we are composing new songs unto the Lord again. The virtual choir represents us as God’s family, with over 500 members and friends participating in the effort. Moreover, our God is a missionary God. His heart goes out to the last, least and lost. We are thankful

we could bless many individuals and bless God’s heart by giving a total of $69,000 to the three charities.

During our 40th anniversary worship service, Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung preached on the use of stones in the Bible. Bishop Dr Chong reminded us that when Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River, memorial stones were set up to testify to God’s faithfulness. In the New Testament, we read that the house of God is made up of living stones. Bishop Dr Chong exhorted us to be those living stones.

Unlike Joshua’s generation, however, we do not conquer by military might.

Instead, as disciples of Christ, we are to serve one and all alike with God’s all-conquering love.

Looking forward to our 41st year, we continue to strive to be a Methodist family after God’s heart by returning to the core and engine of the early Methodist movement—class meetings.

Historically, such meetings helped Methodists grow in scriptural holiness. Our class meetings will also enable us as a family to “watch over one another in love”3.

The church also aims to desire more of God’s presence in our midst, just like

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.

Joshua lingered in the tent of meeting (Exod 33:11). We wish to say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15). Finally, we hope to continue to serve the needs of the AMK community just as Jesus—the Joshua par excellence—did not come to be served but to serve (Matt 20:28). n ur 40th anniversary album also includes O interviews with pioneering members, past leaders, and pastors telling the story of the church at its inception and productions by various ministries.

2 The B.L.E.S.S. initiative and acronym stands for Begin with a prayer for someone, Listen to someone, Eat with someone, Serve someone, and Share your life stories.

3 John Wesley, “General Rules” in The Methodist Book of Discipline, 32.

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Photos courtesy of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church

ONE MCS—TRAC HIGHLIGHTS 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.

TRADITION & FAITH: DEAD OR ALIVE? “T

radition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.”1 This statement by Jaroslav Pelikan Jnr. is often quoted, and with good reason. Pelikan makes three pleasing but provocative contrasts: a contrast between “tradition” and “traditionalism”, between people in the past who are dead and those in the present who are living, and between a “living faith” and a “dead faith”. Yet the irony is that those who are dead may have a faith that is still living whereas those who are living might have a faith that is dead!

Jesus had an encounter with the Pharisees and so-called experts in the Scriptures that illustrates these contrasts.

“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?

They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matt 15:2–3 NIV) The Pharisees accused Jesus of allowing his disciples to “break the tradition of the elders”. Jesus rebuked them for upholding their traditions in a way that broke the commands of God. Jesus ends his argument by saying: “you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”

(Matt 15:6) Quite clearly, Jesus says that some traditions need not be upheld. Some traditions, even if they are “the tradition of the elders” (respected leaders in our history), should be laid

aside, lest “you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”

But the Bible also tells us to hold on firmly to some traditions. For example, the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2 writes: “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.”

In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul commands his readers to hold on to the “traditions” he had passed on to them. (The NIV translation of “teaching” represents the same Greek word translated “tradition” in all the other verses cited above.)

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teaching (tradition) we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”

So the Bible teaches clearly that some teaching or “traditions” should be upheld whilst others should not, at least not in an absolute, rigid and legalistic form. To do so would be to descend, albeit unintentionally, from good tradition to harmful traditionalism.

May the Lord help us discern, and uphold, the living faith of those in the past without getting stuck in a slavish retention of traditions that render faith dead for us who live in the present. n 1

J aroslav Pelikan, The Vindication of Tradition: 1983 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1984), 65.

Picture by MIA Studio/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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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.

BREAKING OLD PATTERNS

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eople are creatures of habit. Some habits, such as a habit of saving, serve us well. Others, like broken records, churn out the same tunes with annoying repetition.

Some interpersonal conflicts resemble broken records.

Although we see the futility of engaging in them, we seem powerless to resist the urge to be drawn into them. It is to a couple caught in this type of cyclical conflict that I wrote the following letter to encourage and point a way ahead for them.

Dear Frederick and Faith1, Following our last session, I propose you consider a Hard Reset2. Before describing what this might mean, let me reiterate the points leading to my suggestion.

1. You both have a fairly good idea of what the other wants from the relationship: Faith wants a deeper connection with Frederick and to move away from a purely functional relationship. Frederick wants to feel that he is important to Faith, that he is more than someone she is grateful to and admires as a boss, but wants him as a partner and lover too.

2. You have both articulated that you are agreeable to the above but do not know how to achieve this.

3. You both have disappointments and past hurts, and sometimes it appears that each is trying to get the other to acknowledge that “I am hurting too.”

4. Both of you have headstrong natures. This has led to a state of mutual blame and recriminations. A spiral of negative exchange has set in.

I would not suggest a “Hard Resetting” of this relationship if it were not for this final point: 5. You both feel passionately for this relationship and for each other. The depth of your feelings showed itself, in the past, in willingness to endure much emotional 1 2

and financial uncertainty, and, in the present, determination to work hard at this relationship even in the midst of all your hurtful arguments.

I thus propose a Hard Reset to introduce a process of positive exchange: • Each of you takes turns to state what you are prepared to do to improve your relationship. Keep in mind what you know your partner is looking for and what you are prepared to offer the other for now.

• The other is to listen and afterwards state what has been understood and, if needed, ask for clarification.

This partner will then take a turn to execute the previous step.

• After each has had a turn in stating what each is prepared to do, share what you hope the other will do to build a better relationship.

• Again, take time to listen and seek clarification.

• With this set of expressed commitments and hopes, begin to take small steps towards fulfilling them.

Do not wait for the other or make improvements conditional on what the other does. Act according to what you believe is the right and proper thing to do for each other.

I look forward to our next meeting. n

Names have been changed to protect the couple’s identity.

A term used to denote a concerted attempt to restart or reboot the relationship.

Picture by Dragon Images/Bigstock.com

WELFARE SERVICES By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team

THE HEART OF GIVING

Mdm Julia Silveraj (left) smiling as she sees her savings grow under the MWS FDP debt clearance and savings matching plan.

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n Good Friday about 2,000 years ago, Christ demonstrated the perfect example of love and humility by giving Himself to save His people. In Philippians 2:3–4, Paul exhorts believers to emulate Christ’s example, to “count others more significant than [ourselves]”, and “look to the interests of others”.

David and Magdalene Luo, both 29, are parents to a toddler daughter and a newborn son, and regular donors who first started giving to Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) three years ago. They have since kept up their commitment to give yearly to MWS. We talked with David and Magdalene to understand more about their heart of service.

Why did you decide to give?

David: Giving is a commandment from God. It is about discipline and stewardship, and an outflow of our Christian walk. Through it all, we trust that God provides.

Magdalene: It is a matter of love and worship, in honour of the Lord.

Why did you decide to give to MWS? David: As Methodists, we came to know about MWS through our schools and our church. We trust what MWS does, and find its work very heartening.

Magdalene: MWS has been around for a long time. Being aware of where the needs are, they serve a breadth of

causes. Our donations are channelled to different people in need.

Is there any area you are most passionate about giving?

David: In the long term, as issues like an aging population and income inequality gain prominence, more is going to be required. As young parents, if there were an area we would be more passionate about, it is family and children.

Are there any words you would share to encourage people to give?

Magdalene: As people who entered the workforce not too long ago, it is tempting to keep our resources for ourselves.

It would be nice to have a conversation with our peers about the giving of one’s first fruits.

David: I would say, “It’s never enough!” If you know and believe that everything comes from God and we are His stewards, one will be better able to give faithfully.

Blessed by Generosity Donations to MWS go towards funding many programmes that help close to 11,000 disadvantaged and distressed individuals and families.

One such programme is the MWS Family Development Programme (FDP). Launched in 2016, it helps families Continued on page 18...

Photo courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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WORLD METHODISM The Rev George Barathan is a retired ETAC Elder. He and his wife, Janet, are currently serving with Operation Mobilisation (OM) Canada with a focus on Sri Lanka.

REACHING OUT TO THE WAR WIDOWS IN SRI LANKA A war widow with her cow. Its milk provides her and her family with an income.

F

or 26 years, the beautiful island of Sri Lanka has been torn apart by brutal ethnic conflict that has claimed approximately 100,000 lives. Although the war ended in 2009, the deep physical, emotional and psychological wounds from the war still linger in the people.

Consequently, the war left behind about 40,000 widows in the north.

Their husbands died tragically, either trying to flee from aerial shelling, or fighting against the government forces for the liberation of the north.

After years of working among the Dalits in India, my wife Janet and I sensed the call of God to change our focus in missions from India to Sri Lanka. I was born in Sri Lanka and had spent the first 20 years of my life there. Fifteen months ago, we made an exploratory trip to Sri Lanka and spoke with several local Christian leaders about the spiritual needs of the country.

It became obvious to us that the plight of the war widows in the north of Sri Lanka needed desperate attention. Their struggle for basic daily necessities, their vulnerability in a male dominated culture and their silent cry for acceptance moved us to serve them, and we hope to provide them with hope and dignity. After all, even God instructs us in the scripture to have a compassionate heart by looking after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27).

The Rev Barathan (second from left) with a war widow (third from left) who lost six sons and her husband in the war. The shack to the right is her home.

A widow with her sewing machine, on which she is able to sew uniforms for a living.

As we met with several widows, most of them belonging to the Hindu religion, in the villages, they expressed their sorrows and heartaches.

We heard their pain and prayed for them.

A third widow received a sewing machine on which she is able to sew school uniforms for a living.

By connecting us with amazing local pastors, God opened the door for us to help 15 widows through sustainable projects, of which we have now completed five. We helped one of the widows to obtain a cow.

By selling its milk, she has the means to take care of her two mentally challenged sisters as well as her children, who are all living under the same roof.

In this region, there is a great need for safe drinking water. Our most recent project is to construct a “tube well” in a small church compound so that women who carry heavy buckets of water do not have to walk such a long distance back to their homes.

Another widow, who lost six of her sons in the war, lived in a crumbling, snake-infested shed, with rainwater constantly leaking through its roof. We have temporarily made the structure more liveable for her.

Our ultimate goal is that these widows will achieve self-sufficiency, but also seek the “Living Water”, thereby quenching their thirst forever. n Photos courtesy of the Rev George Barathan

MISSIONS Col (Ret) Quek Koh Eng is the Field & Church Engagement Director in MMS, and the MMS Area Director for Thailand and Vietnam. He is a member of Charis Methodist Church. This article was jointly contributed by Woo Li Chun, a volunteer with MMS, who worships at Wesley Methodist Church.

PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIPS IN MISSIONS T

he Methodist Missions Society (MMS), established on 30 Sep 1991 by The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), is the first home-grown denomination-based missionary-sending agency. MMS’s mandate, as given in The Book of Discipline (BOD), states that “the primary mission of the Society shall be to establish indigenous churches where none currently exists”; “the Society shall work with local churches as its partner to promote the service opportunities and needs of the mission fields selected by the Society as well as to ensure that missionaries are adequately cared for” (BOD ¶371).

Over the last 27 years, God’s favour and faithfulness can be witnessed through the ministries in the seven mission fields established by MMS in Cambodia, East Asia, Laos, Nepal Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

MMS adopts an integrated approach of Church Planting (CP) and Community Development (CD) with the transformation of lives and communities as desired outcomes. Community projects include student hostels in Cambodia and Timor-Leste; schools in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Timor-Leste; and children’s homes in Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

All these initiatives have been made possible by the dedication and commitment of our missionaries in the field and, more importantly, through the participation and partnership of local churches in Singapore and generous donors and sponsors for our various projects.

Not resting on our laurels, MMS recognises that much more needs to be done. MMS has embarked on an intentional and deliberate approach to fully engage our local churches to participate and partner MMS as opportunities for ministry in our mission fields increase.

Ministry opportunities include serving in the mission fields as missionaries, church partnerships in major projects and

church planting efforts, short-term mission trips by teams from our local churches, and financial and prayer support.

To assist our local churches, MMS will provide leadership and support to their missions ministry when called upon.

With greater emphasis placed on governance and financial control measures, MMS will be able to provide greater financial transparency in the area of fund–raising and management of funds intended for the mission fields.

MMS acknowledges the many volunteers in our committees who are faithfully serving, and giving their time and resources. These include those in our Finance, Personnel, Training, Education, and Building and Construction Management Committees. These volunteers have provided important and essential services to the many programmes and projects in our mission fields. Together with the Home Office staff, they look after training needs, member care for our missionaries and ensure compliance of governance and financial guidelines.

As we enter a new year and a new season, MMS recognises and affirms the need for greater participation and partnership from our churches. It desires to be the agency of choice of our Methodist churches in Singapore and will fulfil its responsibilities accordingly.

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt 9:37–38 NIV) n Please pray for: • MMS missionaries and families in the mission fields • MMS leadership both in the field and in the Home Office • greater participation and partnership from our local churches Photo montage courtesy of The Methodist Missions Society METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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Romans 8:38-39

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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.

GOD THE SPIRIT, GUIDE AND GUARDIAN T

he season between Epiphany Sunday (6 Jan) and Ash Wednesday (6 March) is called “Ordinary Time”. The word “ordinary” connotes the ordinal numbers used to designate the Sundays: for example, first, second, third Sunday after Epiphany. The readings assigned at this time would include: the presentation of Jesus at the temple, the baptism of Jesus and stories of Jesus’ ministry.1 In his ministry, Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick and taught in parables. He defended the poor, the marginalised and the needy. He also confronted the leaders in Jerusalem, but at the same time he exercised servant leadership. His ministry is one we ought to follow and emulate.

The hymn “God the Spirit, Guide and Guardian” addresses the people in ministry—both clergy and lay.

The hymn is dense biblically and theologically. Each stanza has eight lines. The first four lines describe the attributes of each Person in the Trinity—God the Spirit, Christ our Saviour (Son), and God our Creator (Father); the next four lines is a prayer.

The poet explains that the hymn begins with God the Spirit rather than God the Creator because traditional prayers and hymns for ordination do so. God the Spirit is then referred as the “wind-sped flame” (Acts 2:1–4), “hovering dove” which alludes to the Baptism

God the Spirit, Guide and Guardian (The United Methodist Hymnal, #648) God the Spirit, guide and guardian, wind-sped flame and hovering dove, breath of life and voice of prophets, sign of blessing, power of love: give to those who lead your people fresh anointing of your grace; send them forth as bold apostles to your church in every place.

of Christ (Matt 3:14–17) and “breath of life” (Gen 2:7).2 The second stanza describes Christ our Saviour as sovereign, shepherd (John 10:14), “word made flesh” (John 1:14), teacher (Matt 7:29, Mark 6:34, John 7:14), healer (Mark 1:41, Luke 8:54) and suffering servant (alludes to Isaiah 53).

Christ our Savior, sovereign, shepherd, Word made flesh, Love crucified, teacher, healer, suffering servant, friend of sinners, foe of pride: in your tending may all pastors learn and live a shepherd’s care; grant them courage and compassion shown through word and deed and prayer.

The third stanza describes God the Creator who is our life giver and fount of wisdom (Prov 2:1–9). He is God who knows our strengths and weaknesses. The final stanza brings together the three Persons of the Triune God.

Great Creator, life-bestower, truth beyond all thought's recall, fount of wisdom, womb of mercy, giving and forgiving all: as you know our strength and weakness, so may those the church exalts oversee its life steadfastly, yet not overlook its faults.

Serving in ministry is not an easy task. The attributes of God explained in this hymn open our eyes and our minds that the God we serve is beyond our understanding.

But His greatness teaches us to humble ourselves us as He calls us to play a role in His kingdom.

Triune God, mysterious being, undivided and diverse, deeper than our minds can fathom, greater than our creeds rehearse: help us in our varied callings your full image to proclaim, that our ministries uniting may give glory to your name.

The prayers in the hymn are a petition that we become bold apostles; that we learn to live in a shepherd’s care; be courageous and compassionate; that we always proclaim the fullness of God’s image; that our various ministries be united in glorifying God’s name.

These prayers give us affirmation and security that the grace of God will be with us.

May this hymn encourage and strengthen us as we follow Jesus Christ whose ministry we seek to emulate. n

Words: Carl P Daw, Jr., 1987 Music: HYFRYDOL, Rowland Prichard, 1844 e readings are taken from the Lectionary—a collection of Th scripture readings for worship appointed for each day of the Church Calendar.

2 Carlton Young, ed. Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1993), 373.

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Picture by Tinnakorn/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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HOME Jason Woo is Methodist Message’s Editorial Executive. When not working on the latest articles, he enjoys long jogs and cuddling up with his cats along with a good book.

STRIVING IN HIS PERFECTION

The teenage Josephus and his late father.

I

f you judged him by his appearance, you might think that that Josephus Tan was a model for hair products or a creative, art director archetype.

But the man is a lawyer, and one who has done more pro bono cases than any other practising lawyer in Singapore— in his second year as a lawyer, he clocked over 1700 hours!

(Most of his contemporaries, in comparison, put in 10 annual pro bono hours.)

Over the years, Josephus Tan has defended in court those whom many might deem indefensible—from murderers to youth delinquents—and often at a great financial and social cost to himself.

Yet despite all his accolades, the 39-year-old sees his legal career as a God-given privilege and an opportunity to share his testimony of how He, like the widow who had lost her coin, relentlessly and unceasingly searched for what belongs to Him. Encountering Christ and the days of being wild Josephus first encountered God at the age of 12 when a Wilson Tan introduced him to the Singapore Youth for Christ (SYFC). Josephus became involved in various SYFC activities, such as going out to proclaim the Gospel to people on the streets. Wilson also brought young Josephus to Fairfield Methodist Church, which Josephus attends to this day.

Josephus was baptised at the age of 16, but one day, he had a random conversation with a friend. This friend had just returned from a church camp and, having felt the presence of the Holy Spirit during that camp, excitedly asked Josephus if he had ever felt the same.

As a law student in the UK.

Josephus suddenly felt a sense of meaninglessness and a loss of purpose when he realised that he had never felt a deep sense of spiritual connection with the Lord even after years of having been involved in church.

In the four years that followed, Josephus’ existential crisis caused him to leave the church and wallow in all manners of destructive behaviour, indulging in drugs, booze, gang activities and sex. He found pride in being fearless and godless, realising only much later that he had been crying out to God in a very illogical manner.

Things came to head when he almost threw his girlfriend off the balcony of his flat in an inebriated rage. In an attempt to stop his son, Josephus’ father gave him two tight slaps.

After Josephus’ head had cleared, his dad sat him down and asked him in Hokkien that since Josephus had spent the last few years going over to the deep and dark end, whether he would consider doing something meaningful for himself instead.

“He didn’t have much education and was a former gangster. Talking me like that was entirely out of his character,” recounted Joseph. “Looking back, I believe God was using him to reach out to me.”

Discovering Law Ashamed that he become an alcohol and substance abuser, Josephus called out a short but heartfelt prayer to God a few days later. This was the first time he had prayed in almost half a decade.

“At that moment, I simply told Him that, if He were real, to take away my pain and let me start afresh. I had spiralled downwards because I couldn’t feel God in my life before this,” recalled Josephus.

Immediately after the prayer, Josephus felt as if a load had been lifted. In the following weeks, he made himself adhere to a strict daily routine where he would rise early, wash up and read the newspapers—everyday activities that most take for granted. He also began to busy himself with various odd jobs, though he was still unsure about what to do with his life.

But God had a bigger plan for Josephus.

One day, an ad about a Diploma in Law course caught Josephus’ eye. Despite having never done well in school before, Josephus was convinced that this was a path that God had laid before him, and he approached his parents for financial help.

At first, his parents were sceptical but Josephus managed to convince them that he was serious about pursuing the diploma. Josephus’ mother eventually managed to secure an $8,000 loan from a reluctant aunt.

“My mother asked my aunt to give me a chance, as a proper education was the only way for a person from a poor family like mine to break out of our rut,” said Josephus. He managed to pass the diploma course, which was amazing because he had been a consistently bad student when he was in school, and had not touched a book for years before the course.

Encouraged by this success and feeling a prompting in his heart, Josephus, then 24, decided to pursue a law degree. The local university would not accept him because they did not recognise his diploma, and he realised that an overseas degree would be the only way he could realise his dreams of becoming a lawyer. He secured a study loan and, in 2004, headed to the University of Southampton in the UK. The Lord’s favour in the UK While his classmates, most of whom were from privileged backgrounds, were out partying or going on holidays during term breaks, Josephus spent most of his time outside of lessons studying, or working part-time jobs in order to cover his living expenses.

In the early 2000s, graduates from foreign universities needed to possess at least a Second Class (Upper Division) Honours degree in order to be called to the Bar in Singapore. And it was the policy of the university that Josephus was enrolled in that final year undergraduates had to pass all subjects in order to be awarded a Second Upper. Unless he passed all his modules, Josephus could not practise law back in Singapore, but he constantly struggled with the Family Law module.

The day he had to sit for the Family Law examination, he chanced upon a small old church that was ironically located next to a lottery centre. He entered the church and prayed: “God, You’ve brought me this far. You have to help me pass this subject or the journey ends here.” Josephus then made a promise to God that if He helped him through this trial, that he would spend the rest of his life being His testimony.

Josephus still failed the paper.

But what happened afterwards went beyond even his wildest expectations. He was called in by the Director of Student Affairs soon after the result slips had been distributed. She gave him a hug, then told him, “You failed [Family Law], but you will still get your Second Upper.”

It turned out that the Board of Examiners had decided to award Josephus the Second Class Upper Honours degree despite his final year results because of his positive consistent academic performance! God had clearly given Josephus no room to doubt that this was an outcome that was influenced by His Hand, and not by Josephus’ own ability. n Editor’s note: This article has been edited for brevity. Read the full version at http://message.methodist.org.sg/

A young and wild Josephus.

Josephus’ story continues in the March 2019 issue of Methodist Message.

Photos courtesy of Josephus Tan METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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OPEN HOUSE Saturday 23 March 2019

ACS (International) Singapore is a distinctive international secondary school open to all Singaporeans & other nationalities, offering an allround English-based education for students aged 12 to 18 years leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

Mr Rob Burrough Principal

Building Through Belief, this school of choice provides

Achievements Include

• Exceptional examination results, very strong value-added achievement and an all-round holistic education

• Students with perfect score of 45 points

• 50:50 mix of local and international teachers who uphold the dual Methodist ethos and ACS heritage • Small class sizes with overall studentteacher ratio of 8.7 : 1 • 40 different CCAs – 16 Sporting, 12 Visual and Performing Arts, 12 Special Interest Groups • Over 25 overseas trips per year • Over 200 formal student leadership positions • Scholarships for 4 Singaporeans to undertake the IBDP

Mrs Tan Siew Hoon Vice Principal

• 19 “Top in 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 • Admissions to top universities in the UK, the US, Australia and Singapore • PSLE and Singapore GCE ‘O’ Level students achieve outstanding valueadded examination results for the IBDP with improved pathways to good universities • Successes at national level this year in Archery, Touch Rugby, Cycling, Swimming, Chinese Drama, Debating, Fencing, Football, Golf, String Orchestra, Taekwondo, Volleyball and Wushu

Mr Gavin Kinch Vice Principal

Dr Kristopher Achter Vice Principal

INFORMATION SESSIONS 9:00am

Principal’s Address

9:30am – 12:00pm

School tours & presentations by staff & students

Oldham Chapel, ACS (International) 61 Jalan Hitam Manis, Singapore 278475

For more information, please contact Joseph Ng or Serene Lim at +65 6472 1477 or admission@acsinternational.edu.sg

ACS (International) - Building Through Belief

WORLD METHODISM E Julu Swen is a communicator for The United Methodist Church in Liberia and is leader of the Liberian Methodist publishing team.

SUSANNA WESLEY: How one woman shaped the Methodist Church

Susanna Wesley was the mother of John and Charles Wesley.

20 January 2019 was the 350th anniversary of her birth.

U

pon visiting the home of the Wesleys in Epworth, England, I was struck by the way Susanna Wesley challenged her husband who wanted her to stop preaching. By being assertive, Susanna eventually enhanced the role of women in the church and even led to the formation of the entire Methodist Church.

When her husband asked her to stop leading a Bible study that was larger than the church he led, she responded: “If after all this you think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience; but send your positive command in such full and express terms as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity for doing good when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I was very impressed, not by her refusal to do as her husband suggested, but by her wisdom to pull the chair of authoritarianism from under her husband, Samuel Wesley, with such profound respect. Throughout this pilgrimage, the history of the United Methodist Church, as it was told to me, seems to have left a big chunk of the birthing of the entire idea of Methodism out of the picture. I think John Wesley, the father of Methodism, took a huge page out of his mother’s methodical book and the way she ran her family.

What kind of a woman would have 19 children to care for and still run the family in such a structured way, especially since her husband was gone most of the time?

In Susanna’s journal, she wrote: “I am a woman, but I am also the mistress of a large family. And though the superior charge of the souls contained in it lies upon you, yet in your long absence I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my charge as a talent committed to me under a trust.”

This is a clear indication that the parable of the five talents resonated very well with her, thereby directing her to methodically structure her time with her children. To her husband she wrote: “I take such a proportion of time as I can spare every night to discourse with each child apart. On Monday I talk with Molly, on Tuesday with Hetty, Wednesday with Nancy, Thursday with Jacky, Friday with Patty, Saturday with Charles.”

I am pretty much convinced that when John Wesley was organising small group meetings at Christ Church, his strict attention to dates, time, and actions manifested his mother’s influence on him. His fellow students may have been ignorant of the source of that influence.

Yet, whatever fun they made of his consciousness to dates, time and related actions evolved, by providence, an important and appropriate name—Methodists!

Much has been written and spread in many places; therefore, I probably might not have picked up this insightful story about where the whole idea of Methodism actually came from, and credited so much to John Wesley. Yet, now by understanding the key formative role his mother Susanna Wesley played, I hereby submit that even though her son is the father of Methodism, Susanna by all accounts is the mother of Methodism.

Let’s remind ourselves that one woman made a significant contribution to the founding of Methodism, and that woman was Susanna Wesley. She trained her children the way they needed to go. When they grew up, they clearly did not depart from it and now the world is better for that!

Let us thank God for Susanna Wesley and the women who lead and influence us and our church. n This article was reproduced with permission from United Methodist News (https://www.umnews.org/).

Visual courtesy of United Methodist News.

METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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NEWS Jason Woo is Methodist Message’s Editorial Executive. When not working on the latest articles, he enjoys long jogs and cuddling up with his cats along with a good book.

GLORIA!

CELEBRATING THE CHRISTMAS STORY— AN MSM CONCERT

Methodist Festival Choir singing their praises.

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LORIA! Celebrating the Christmas Story was an aural event that showcased a playlist of wellknown hymns across languages and cultures, from Germanic to African—after all, God’s salvation is for everyone—to retell the familiar Advent story.

The concert, organised by Methodist School of Music (MSM), opened with a solo organ performance of “We Sing Now of Christmas” by conductor and organist, Dr Michael Burkhardt. Dr Burkhardt is renowned for his work in hymn festivals and talent with children.

His gift with children was brought to bear for GLORIA! as he worked with young choristers from Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church, Queenstown Chinese Methodist Church and Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church, getting them to gel within a short span of time. Introduced collectively as the Festival Children’s Choir, the children and youth put up a series of memorable numbers and renditions of hymns such as the musical-esque “Mary, Mary” and the rousing classic, “Joy to the World”.

The audience, who packed the Esplanade Concert Hall on 13 Dec, was also treated to solo performances

by Daniel Fong, who enthralled with his baritone rendition of “Mary’s Lullaby” and “Christmas Oratario” in German. The concert was also wellsupported by the varied voices of the Methodist Festival Choir, made up of volunteers across the various Methodist churches; the MSM Ringers; a 3-octave handbell ensemble; and the graceful Gloria dancers, students of the MSM Ballet department. n

Budding ballerinas dance their way into the audience’s hearts.

Festival Children’s Choir united in one voice.

Michael Burkhardt at the majestic Klais pipe organ.

Photos courtesy of Methodist School of Music METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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WELFARE SERVICES

THE HEART OF GIVING

...continued from page 7

living in poverty through debt clearance and savings matching at a ratio of 1:2 (up to $200 per month).

Other supplementary components include monthly school support of $30 for primary and $40 for secondary students, and milk nutrition support for children and pregnant or lactating women. The FDP has helped many distressed families get out of debt and accumulate savings, many for the first time.

Julia Silveraj, 38, an FDP beneficiary, was left to raise two teenage sons after her husband passed away. With only ‘N’-level qualifications, she was unable to secure a full-time job and struggled to make ends meet through various parttime positions. Since she was put on the FDP in July 2017, she has learnt budgeting skills and has saved approximately $1,800 in the bank.

Once with little hope for the future, Julia today has the courage to dream again. She has expressed hope for more people to give to the less fortunate and intends to give back to society when her financial situation stabilises.

The Immeasurable Value of $1 Just a small donation goes a long way to provide resources for our beneficiaries, and every dollar counts to those who need a lift up. Giving $1 a day or $30 a month can support a disadvantaged child’s continued education, a distressed family through counselling and therapy, provide milk powder for babies, engage lonely and isolated seniors, and provide care for the sick and frail. Imagine what comfort, strength, joy and hope your gift can bring. n Make a Meaningful Impact Choose to give a regular donation, or a one-time donation today, at thegivingmethodist.sg.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

(Matt 5:16, NIV) Thank you for heeding the call and making an impact on the disadvantaged and distressed.

Registration at our Columbarium Office (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

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).

FAITH CULTURE

AND

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.

M

any years ago, I met a group of Chinese Christians who do not believe in celebrating the Lunar New Year. The festival, in their view, has its roots in a pagan (Chinese) culture and is inextricably bound to the superstitions associated with it.

But does being a Christian mean that one should abandon one’s culture and the customs associated with it? What is the relationship between faith and culture?

In recent decades, some theologians have coined the neologism “inculturation” to explore the long and complex relationship between faith and culture. The former superior general of the Jesuits, Pedro Arrupe, defines this as “the incarnation of the Christian life and of the Christian message in a particular cultural context, in such a way that this experience not only finds expression through elements proper to the culture in question, but becomes the principle that animates, directs and unifies the culture, transforming and remaking it as to bring about a ‘new creation’.”

It is obviously impossible for me to unpack this dense statement in this short article. What I propose to do, instead, is to briefly offer some theological handles that would guide our reflections on the relationship between faith and culture.

Firstly, the foundation for a theology of inculturation is the incarnation of the eternal Word of God. In the Incarnation, we learn that God did not reject the fallen world but has chosen instead to inhabit it so that He might redeem it.

Secondly, Christians of every stripe believe that in this sin-marred world there can still be found traces of the true, the good and the beautiful—however faint. Christians

must therefore affirm these aspects of human culture as manifestations of God’s common grace (Phil 4:8).

Thirdly, although Christianity is not tied to a particular culture, it has the capacity to accommodate the cultural forms and sensibilities of the people who embrace it. As the renowned missiologist David Bosch has pointed out: “The Christian faith never exists except as ‘translated into culture’. Scripture itself—and every translation of it—are examples of inculturation.”

And finally, inculturation does not mean that Christians should simply and uncritically assimilate every cultural form, custom or practice to their faith. Some cultural practices obviously must be rejected because they are antithetical to the Word of God (see Deut 18:9). And, as Auppe’s statement makes clear, even the cultural elements that are embraced must be transformed by the Word of God and sanctified by His Holy Spirit.

The theologian Andrew Walls has helpfully suggested that in the process of inculturation, two principles are at work.

The “indigenising principle” maintains that the Gospel is at home in every culture and vice versa, while the “pilgrim principle” underscores the fact that the Gospel is in many ways also counter-cultural.

Based on this understanding of inculturation, Chinese Christians need not totally abandon the celebration of the Lunar New Year.

Without embracing or condoning certain elements associated with the festivity such as its astrological and horoscopic aspects as well as the conventions and rituals associated with ancestor worship, Christians can surely celebrate Chinese New Year purely as a cultural event. This would include traditional practices like the reunion dinner, the visitation of family members, and even the giving of hongbao or red packets (not as a way of dispensing good luck, but as a genuine act of mutual gift-giving).

Christians can use this happy occasion to emphasise the importance of family, friends and community, and the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. They can take advantage of this celebration to strengthen relationships and ties, and wish each other: “愿耶和华的恩典与平安伴随着你 (May God’s grace and peace be with you through the year).” n References Arrupe, Pedro. “On Incultruation, to the Whole Society.” The Portal to Jesuit Studies (1978). https://jesuitportal.bc.edu/research/documents/1978_ arrupeinculturationsociety.

Bosch, David. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission.

Maryknoll, MS: Orbis, 2011.

Walls, Andrew. “British Missions.” Missionary Ideologies in the Imperialist Era: 1880-1920. Edited by Torben Christensen and William R. Hutchison.

Aarhus: Forlaget Aros, 1982.

Picture by makistock/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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NEWS Arthur Fong is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

SEEK THE WELFARE OF SINGAPORE Peacemakers from KKMC

T

he 70th Anniversary of the Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) was celebrated at the Fullerton Hotel on 19 Dec 2018. This charity dinner was sponsored by the Far East Organisation, with all the funds raised going to six beneficiaries of different faiths. The dinner was well attended and supported.

The evening began with IRO’s “signature feature” at its events—a prayer led by 10 leaders of the various faiths for peace for the nation, good health and just rewards.

A short video of violence and armed conflict where religion is hijacked for causes by some groups and countries set the tone for the speeches by the three speakers. It was a vivid depiction of threats to religious harmony around the world.

Mr Ben Benjamin, president of IRO, reminded all present to promote peace and religious harmony in Singapore.

Referring to the Maria Hertogh riots in 1950 and the racial riots in the 1960s, he emphasised how Singapore has progressed and that we should never take our religious harmony for granted.

Ms Grace Fu, the guest of honour and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, warned of the clear and present danger of taking our eyes off threats to our peace and harmony. Pledging, striving and committing to deepening cooperation among religions is as pertinent as guarding against falsehoods, hate speech and fake news, especially on social media.

Ms Dorothy Chan, the executive director of Far East Organisation and a Methodist, exhorted attendees to seek

the welfare of Singapore. She quoted Jeremiah 29:7, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you…, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church supported the event by sponsoring a table. TRAC President, the Rev Dr Gordon Wong, was the specially-invited guest at our table. Mr D Joseph, the associate lay leader of our Tamil Ministry, wrote: “I am thankful for the opportunity to join the inter-faith charity dinner. It was very useful to learn about the IRO. The dinner was great and it was definitely a very meaningful fellowship.”

As the event drew to a close, there was a strong shared sense that, as we celebrate religious diversity, we acknowledge a commonality of compassion and care for others across the different faiths and nationalities.

Said the Rev Kenneth Huang, Pastor-in-Charge of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church: “When promoting inter-faith harmony, we need to respect and learn from other faiths, while upholding our own. The bottom line is mutual understanding and the formation of real friendships since we are ultimately Singaporeans and residents of Singapore, regardless of race or religion.”

For the greatest of God’s commandments teaches us to “‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30, 31) n

Photo courtesy of Mr Lim Shung Yar

BOOK REVIEW Sheri Goh is the editor of Methodist Message, the mother of a tween and a toddler, and the willing slave to a cat.

IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH: THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

“T

he focus of worship is God.”

Bishop Emeritus Robert M. Solomon, the author of In Spirit and in Truth, takes pains to remind his readers, again and again, what the focus of worship should be, and what the modern worshipper has often forgotten— that “we should be careful that we do not sacrifice faithfulness to God for relevance to the world, truth for taste, edification for entertainment, pulpits for stages, and substance for style.”

God’s name is to be hallowed, “set apart”, and treated as special. “We are not to trivialise God,” Bishop Solomon emphasises, and we are to give to Him our “exclusive love”. Therefore, as he discusses in greater depth many of the different elements of worship, such as liturgy, songs, the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, and even the use of technology in worship, he reminds us that “the fear of God is at the heart of true religion and worship”. Our attitude towards worship is thus that we are to have “a deep trembling reverence for God”.

He therefore cautions us against the modern world’s feelgood culture, where we feel entitled that all we do has to be enjoyable. Instead, worship is not for entertainment, self-gratification or personal pleasure. The only one Jesus thought of in His ministry, we are reminded, was His Father. We are thus to avoid songs that sound good but are theologically incorrect, some examples of which Bishop Solomon provides.

As a collection of 59 very readable essays, each about three to four pages long, with guided questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, this book explores the multifaceted experience of worship, bringing the reader back always to scriptural basics for the heart of worship—God.

In Spirit and in Truth: Thoughts on Worship

by Bishop Emeritus Robert M. Solomon Published by Armour Publishing, 280 pages www.armourpublishing.com $ 22.90 Enjoy 20% off the price of In Spirit and in Truth by using the discount code METHODIST_FEB at the webstore’s checkout page (valid from 1–28 Feb 2019).

This book is suitable for pastors, worship leaders and teams, and every worshipper, for we are all called to worship God in spirit and in truth. n

Book cover graphic courtesy of Armour Publishing METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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POEMS Leong Kwok Thye is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church and has been involved in the ministries of Scripture Union, the Bible Study Fellowship and the pastoral care programme of Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) and AngloChinese School (Barker Road).

WHAT A MAJESTIC AND LOVING GOD! The heavens Lord, declare your glory; The earth proclaims your majesty!

We marvel at your wondrous grace, For an insignificant human race.

You crown us with glory and honour; And bestow on us your favour To rule over beasts, birds of the air, Fish and sea creatures everywhere.

You form us from dust of earth, You give us life, you give us breath, You make us your children, Little lower than beings in heaven.

The universe reflects your glory, Creation affirms your sovereignty With all nature in one accord, We praise your name O Lord!

You protect infants from danger, You silence the foe and avenger; You lavish us with endless care, And love beyond compare.

Inspired from Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:7 and Psalm 8

Picture by paul shuang/Bigstock.com

LOOKING AHEAD TRAC SENIORS MINISTRY WORSHIP SERVICES

13 Feb, 13 Mar, 17 Apr, 15 May 2019 (Wednesdays), 2.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Faith Methodist Church L4 Worship Hall, 400 Commonwealth Dr, S(149604) 6478-4754 (Priscilla)

Scan here to see events online!

TRAC Seniors Ministry welcomes you to their monthly Seniors Ministry Worship Services. Join us for a time of worship, fellowship and food, and catch up with other seniors and retirees from various TRAC churches.

Organised by Trinity Annual Conference.

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APOLOGETICS: DEFENDING OUR FAITH

2 3 Feb 2019 (Saturday), 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Sophia Blackmore Hall, 70 Barker Road, S(309936) at Methodist Centre, Level 6 $10 per head (inclusive of breakfast and lunch). Please register with your local church’s WSCS President by 10 Feb 2019. Seats are limited.

Often, non-believers challenge us about why we believe what we believe, and they reveal their misperception of God by the questions that they raise. Apologetics is the discipline of giving reasons for our faith, but doing so with gentleness and respect for the questioner. This talk will help us understand how apologetics can undergird evangelism, and can help us in Outreach. The talk also addresses tough questions on whether God is unfair in His treatment of sin, and attempts to address God’s sovereignty versus our responsibility to exercise our free will.

Organised by General Conference Women’s Society of Christian Service (GC WSCS), Discipleship and Nurture.

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THE GIVING METHODIST 6 Mar to 13 Apr 2019 https://bit.ly/2FqmE0S tgm@mws.sg

The Giving Methodist is an initiative to gather and galvanise Methodists to perform acts of love. It takes place during the season of Lent, a period of reflection for Christians—because giving is part of a life that exemplifies Christ. Come together as one Methodist family as we give of our voices, time and donations towards the last, the lost and the least amongst us.

Organised by The Methodist Church in Singapore and Methodist Welfare Services.

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THE PERSPECTIVES COURSE

16 Mar to 20 Jul 2019 (Saturdays), 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Wesley Methodist Church, 5 Fort Canning Road, S(179493) https://perspectivessingapore.org/next-course/ Early bird fees range from $150 to $250, with discounts available. Fees cover 15 classes and two course textbooks. Please refer to website for more details.

Experience 15 powerful lessons that have equipped thousands of everyday believers worldwide with a greater vision, hope and passion. In the Perspectives course, be prepared to discover how scripture, history, culture and strategy converge to reveal the unfolding of God’s redemptive purposes. The Lord is on a mission to bless the peoples of the earth, and you’re invited to join Him. Organised by Perspectives Course Singapore.

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METHODIST MESSAGE • FEB 2019

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THINK The Rev Daniel Tong is Vicar of Saint Andrew’s Community Chapel, and Head of Pastoral Care Services at Saint Andrew’s Community Hospital. He is the author of A Biblical Approach to Chinese Traditions and Beliefs.

I BELIEVE, I CELEBRATE T

he Lunar New Year (LNY) brings with it family gatherings, delicious goodies and the excuse to indulge, as well as questions about how Christians may celebrate without compromising our faith commitment to Jesus.

We should, instead, use other greetings to wish happiness (“Xin Nian Meng Fu”[ 新年蒙福]), improvement in studies (“Xue Ye Jin Bu” [学业进步]), mercy (“Xin Nian Meng En” [新年蒙恩]), and harmony for the whole family (“He Qi Ji Xiang Quan Jia Le” [和氣吉祥全家樂]), just to name a few.

In considering such questions, let us Chinese Christians remember that God birthed us as Chinese, so there is nothing wrong with appreciating and engaging with our ethnic culture.

Bear in mind that just about everything done, eaten, worn or used as decoration during the festive period carries some symbolism—of prosperity, longevity and blessings. Take for example, the eating of fish (“Yu” [鱼], to connote abundance “Nian Nian You Yu” [年年有余]) and the wearing of red clothes (symbolising good fortune and joy). Choosing to do away with everything that carries symbolism would result in a drab celebration and is quite unnecessary. Symbolism does not automatically equate to superstition.

We simply need to learn to sort out what is biblically acceptable, unacceptable or open. The acceptable are basically traditions that do not carry religious or superstitious connotations. Those that do are unacceptable, along with those which are generally free of religious basis, but open to superstitious enticement.

Acceptable: Family reunions and visitations are generally free of religious and superstitious connotations and are, in fact, encouraged (1 Tim 5:8). These gatherings serve the important role of renewing and strengthening relational bonds, as well as reconciliation (Col 3:13). Paying respect to our elders on the first day of the new year also teaches and reminds us to honour those who have raised us (Ex 20:12).

Unacceptable: Spring cleaning in preparation for receiving guests is practical and necessary, but we should not hold to the traditional idea that it removes the negativity and bad luck of the year past. Such a belief also advocates not sweeping the floor during the LNY period for fear of sweeping away all the luck of the new year. Christians need not fear—our Lord both protects (Ps 46:1; Isa 41:10) and provides (2 Cor 9:8)—and should not hold to such a belief.

Open: The most common greeting, discouraged by the Church, is “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (恭喜发财). Why, when Scripture does not restrict us from wishing prosperity upon another (3 John 1:2)? The concern rests with the enticing lure of materialism, to which all are susceptible (1 Tim 6:10).

The advice here would be to avoid that which is overtly religious or superstitious and would cause an immediate link with a religious or superstitious idea or practice. For example, visitors who see pussy willows in our home would not automatically think that we hope the LNY would bring us growth and prosperity (which pussy willows symbolise).

They are likely to accept it as a traditional decoration. On the other hand, pots of “lucky bamboo” would cause them to wonder otherwise.

There are LNY traditions we can engage in without compromising our faith commitment to God. For those which draw us into the worship of anything but Jesus, let us politely but firmly decline while explaining that we do not mean disrespect, but are simply seeking to be faithful to our Christian beliefs. Most, with whom we communicate clearly and see our faith lived out consistently, will listen. With the rest, show grace and pray.

Have a blessed Lunar New Year! n

Picture by Kumruen Pakorn/Bigstock.com