THE MAGAZINE OF FAITH METHODIST CHURCH | MICA (P) 031/11/2010 | Apr 2011

谈清明节与

耶稣受难日

When The World Doesn’t Make Sense

Qing Ming Festival And Good Friday:

Let’s Talk About Death…

Hands and FeeT In a Fractured Community

“sHe Was

a LITTLe BLue”

生命的

转折点

400 Commonwealth Drive Singapore 149604Tel: 6475 9433 Fax: 6475 3339 Email: mail@faithmc.org.sg Website: www.faithmc.org.sg

Faithlink is published quarterly by Faith Methodist Church, Singapore, for internal circulation within the congregation of Faith and their friends. Views expressed in Faithlink are of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Church and the Editorial Board.

Noelle Tang Shuk YeeChief Editor

After the Japan disaster hit the headlines of major media around the world, apocalypse talk and expressions of fear were common refrains in my conversations with concerned family and friends.

“Better stay away from Japanese restaurants!”“I’ll stop eating seafood these few months!”“Better stay in Singapore and not travel anywhere!”“What’s going to happen if the radiation comes here?”“It’s going to be the end of the world!”

The theme for this issue of Faithlink was set before the Japan catastrophe hit the headlines of major media around the world, adding to the consecutive chain of catastrophes worldwide. The scale of the disaster and the ongoing battle to avert a nuclear meltdown lend poignant meaning to the theme of chaos, pain and suffering in the world.

I am recently enamoured with the biblical account of the exodus, which tells of God leading the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt where they were once suffering as slaves under the tyranny of their Egyptian rulers. It tells of God parting the Red Sea and making the surging waters of the sea stand firm like a wall so that His children can walk through on dry land. It tells of God going ahead of the camp of people in the desert as a pillar of cloud by day to guide them and a pillar of fire by night to give them light.

God’s light of love shone for the Israelites in the midst of the chaos and darkness. But He went further. He sent His Son Jesus to the cross to be that light of love to the world. For us, His hands took the nails; for us, His flesh was torn by the merciless whips; for us, His blood ebbed away as He hung on the cross on Good Friday. Darkness. But light came on Easter. And the risen Lord is still holding out the light to light our paths; He is still making order out of the chaos in our swirling world to make a way for us; and He is still that pillar walking along with us in the journey of the desert.

You will find several articles asserting that Jesus Christ is the answer to the mess and darkness we see in our world. You may think it is cliché. You may think it is nonsense. That is fine. But keep this option open. In this world which is increasingly chaotic, you may very well find that God is the only one you can hold on to at the end of the day, literally.

Blessed Easter!

whenDarkness

falls

Pastor’s Heart

Rev Dr Kow Shih MingPastor-In-Charge

[God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

With the challenges that comes with leadership, why then be a leader?

…Because, in the words of Bill Hybels, “The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.”3 James Emery White pointed out that “to impact the culture, you have to impact the church. To impact the church, you have to impact the leaders.”4 If we want to transform lives and change the world, we need godly leaders of character and competence to step up to serve in God’s church. As someone has pointed out, for evil to triumph, all you need is for good men to do nothing. For a church to be mediocre, all you need is to ignore your calling to be leaders in the church. Then men and women of weaker character and lesser ability will fill those roles of leadership; and we should not be surprised why the church is insipid and weak, making hardly a dent in society.

…Because we follow a crucified Saviour. Your calling to leadership is a calling to serve the living Christ who showed us his model of leadership. Your calling to leadership is a calling to the cross; it is a calling to cruciform leadership. It is not a calling to privilege. It is not a calling to status. It is not a calling to carve your version of the kingdom in the church. It is not a calling to perpetuity; there will be a time when you hand your leadership baton to another. It is a calling to suffer. It is a calling to sacrificial servanthood. It is a calling to be like Jesus.

Where have all the leaders gone? That is a question I pray I never have to ask in our church.

Where have all the leaders gone? This was the title of an article I recently came across not once but twice1. The author lamented the dearth of godly leaders in the church. Noting the many advertised vacancies in churches to be filled, he asked:

• Why aren’t their own members coming forward to avail themselves for full-time Christian ministry to serve and meet the needs in their own churches?

• Where have all the leaders gone?

I cannot help but echo his words: Where have all the leaders gone?

For the last decade, to meet the increasing demands and growth of our ministries, we have added significant staff to the pastoral team. The present team is a great team of committed, faithful, and sacrificial servants of the Lord. They have often, with joyful and willing hearts, given of themselves for the sake of the congregation. Yet there is no denying that quite a few of them came from outside our church family. Where have all the leaders gone?

We have been looking for additional staff members to minister in our youth ministry, our small group ministry, our Mandarin Ministry, and our International Ministry. For months, even years, we received only a smattering of applicants, and almost all of them from outside of our church family. Where have all the leaders gone?

This malaise may be traced to an interesting but tragic phenomena in our church. I have come across many church members who are willing to do some of the work of ministry, but who shy away from being called leaders. Perhaps they are aware of the challenges of leadership as elucidated by J. Oswald Sanders in his classic book, Spiritual Leadership2:

No one need to aspire to leadership in the work of God who is not prepared to pay a price greater than his contemporaries and colleagues are willing to pay. True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the whole man, and the more effective the leadership is, the higher the price to be paid.

Leaders, or potential leaders, know that there will always be obstacles in your way. They come with the calling. Know also that God’s grace that is sufficient for you comes with the calling too. Remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV:

1 Singapore Bible College, Mar/Apr 2011, No. 227.2 Sanders, J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership. Chicago: Moody

Press, 1989.3 Hybels, Bill. Courageous Leadership. Grand Rapids, MI, 2002.4 White, James Emery. Contact, Winter 06/07, Vol. 36, No. 1, 3-10.

Where Have all The Leaders Gone?

PASTOR’S HEART01 Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

EDITORIALWhen Darkness Falls

FEATURES04 Qing Ming Festival And Good Friday: Let’s Talk About Death! 06 When The World Doesn’t Make Sense 10 Slain Lamb - God’s Answer To Pain And Evil 12 Lights In A Tunnel 14 That Morning, We Were Family 16 Why Is There Pain And Suffering? 18 Longing

HOME FRONT20 Faith Gifts 2010 24 TEAM FaithActs: Renovation With Love 26 Jewels In The Making 29 Wow! Thank You! 30 A Rendezvous With Movers 34 Out of Mischief: Getting To Know Timothy Tan 36 Heavy With Love: Bidding Farewell To Richard Ting 38 Soh Lan’s Parish Gathering 40 Hands And Feet In A Fractured Community: A Life-changing Trip To Surabaya 42 My First Mission Trip 46 PandaMania: God Is Wild About You! 48 Laugh.Play.Learn: StoryLand And Phonics Fun 52 Whazzup! 64 Kindy Moments

04

40

Qing Ming Festival And Good Friday

Editorial Team

Chief Editor: Tang Shuk Yee Noelle

Coordinator: Shawn Lam

Editor (Theology):Ng Moh Ying

Sub Editors: Tammy AngAlfred Chiam Choon YongLinda GongKuda Vidanage Deepthi Shanthamala

Writers: Tammy AngSamuel GohFlora KhooKhoo Tse HorngEdwin KohShirley MokJoseph Ng

Contributors: Rachel Chiu Li HsienChong Ming LiPatrick ChuaMargaret LimNg Liang Wei

Translator:Roy Lam

Photography: Rachel Chiu Li HsienGabriel ChuaSamuel HengMilton LaiBernard LeongMark LeeBenson LimReuben Loh Lur Bing HuiGabriel Ong James PangPee Lay Hoon Jimmy PngDaniel Quah

Lynette NgQuek SiminVivian SiaRichard SohHarry TanHenry TanAlan Wong

Michelle SohYang Shu Yu 杨树宇Shirina YapSimon YeoBrian Zhang

Hands And Feet In A

Fractured Community

中文栏目66 谈清明节与耶稣受难日 67 生命的转折点 71 喔！谢谢！

Mail BagHave you enjoyed reading Faithlink? If you have, encourage the Faithlink team by telling us! Similarly, we also welcome your feedback.

Do drop us a note at faithlink@faithmc.org.sg, fax: 6475 3339 or send to:

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67生命的转折点

IT’S FUN TIME51 Good Friday Crossword Puzzle

NUGGETS OF THANkSGIvING68 She Was A Little Blue: A Parent’s Painful Journey With A Baby Born With A Life-threatening Condition 72 Depression Again! Why Me?

84 See You In 2020!

THE CASE FOR FAITH74 Why I Believe In The God Of Easter 76 The Beginning And End Of Evil

1 LIFE 4:178 Black Or White 80 Doc’s In 82 Beauty Fix 84 See You In 2020! The Passion Play In Oberammergau 88 Jukebox

68She Was A Little Blue

The Chinese Qing Ming Festival and the Christian holiday of Good Friday invariably fall in the month of April almost every year. The dates for both are usually quite close too. This year, the Qing Ming Festival was on 5 April and Good Friday on 22 April. Besides the proximity of date, both shared a common association – death. Qing Ming is a day for many Chinese to remember and honour loved ones who have passed on, while Good Friday reminds Christians about the death of Jesus Christ who was crucified on the Cross.

Qing Ming Festival Good Friday: Let’s Talk About Death!

and

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Qing Ming Festival is associated with a popular scholar in ancient China who died when the emperor set fire to a mountain he retreated to after refusing to serve in the imperial court. The emperor regretted his actions and forbade anyone to light a fire on the death anniversary of the scholar. The modern practice of remembering the deceased was evolved over the years1.

Good Friday on the other hand is the commemorative death anniversary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in ancient Israel (under Roman Empire rule). He was betrayed, tortured and brutally nailed to the Cross as the ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. Good Friday also coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover – the Bible records that Jesus and His disciples gathered for a Passover Meal the evening before Jesus was crucified. The Passover had its origins in the book of Exodus, which tells how God helped the nation of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting 10 plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the deaths of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term “passover”.

Christians believe that the Passover in Egypt was a foreshadow of what God was going to do – He finally gave His only Son Jesus as the final Passover Lamb. After Jesus gathered His disciples for His last meal with them – the Passover Meal – He was killed on the cross the next day as a sacrificial lamb for everyone’s debt of sins once and for all. He died for us, so that we need not pay the penalty of death for our sins. And this day is known as Good Friday.

However, it will be hopeless and useless if Jesus remained in the grave, for death is what most of us fear most! But God brought Jesus physically back to life on the third day – and this day of resurrection, this day when Jesus conquered death, is known as Easter. Jesus’ resurrection brings hope to us, as death is no longer to be feared! Jesus promised us, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” (John 11:25-26, NLT)

Both Qingming Festival and Good Friday share a common association – death, yet it is Easter that makes a difference between the two. To me, as a Chinese and a Christian, in April near Qingming Festival, I will be going to the columbarium to remember and honour my late father by presenting flowers at his niche. It is not only a day to appreciate all that my father had given to me, but also a day to remember with assurance that one day I will meet him again in heaven, because both of us have accepted God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ who died to pay for the debts of our sins (Good Friday) and who was resurrected to give us victory over death (Easter)! †

1 Tong, Daniel. A Biblical Approach to Chinese Traditions and Beliefs. Genesis Books, 2003.

Patrick is Senior Lay Ministry Staff with Faith Methodist Church and oversees the Bridge Builders Ministry. A father of one, he has a passion for reaching out to the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

By PATRICk CHUA

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when theWorlddoesn’tMakeSense

On 26 December 2004, a massive tsunami measuring as high as 30 metres swept through fourteen countries, taking 230,000 lives in its wake.

Since December 2010, many parts of Africa and Asia have been affected by severe floods causing extensive damages and loss of human and animal lives. The affected regions are further threatened by the spread of infectious diseases which took more lives. Major floods have taken place in Australia affecting hundreds of thousands of people and causing massive destruction.

Over the past months, earthquakes with magnitude of 6.8 or greater on the Richter scale have been reported in Chile, California, Argentina, China, Indonesia, New Zealand and other places. And the world is still reeling in shock over the unprecedented 9.0 earthquake in the northern part of Japan on 11 March this year, bringing with it a 13-metre high tsunami which caused massive destruction and loss of human lives estimated to exceed 12,000, not to mention sparking the nuclear crisis which Japan is still struggling to contain at the time of writing.

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Strange phenomena have also been observed recently. Dead fish were found covering a 20-mile section of Arkansas River; 100 tons of dead fish were washed up on the shores of Brazil; thousands of dead blackbirds were found in the south of the United States and in South America.

And it is not just natural catastrophes. There are many more man-made tragedies as well. The protracted wars and violance in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed over a quarter of a million lives from all sides, and affected many millions of others. The series of uprisings in Africa and the Middle East are current issues of concern and seem to be signs of changing times.

After 11 September 2001, which marked one of the worst disasters stemming from terrorist attacks, we live in constant anxiety about sudden strikes of terrorism throughout the world affecting innocent lives.

Our lack of concern for the environment and the world we live in has caused yet many more lives to be threatened by way of polluted land,

water, and air.

Throughout human history, the world has faced turmoil and human suffering. However, in recent times these catastrophic events seem to have intensified.

Everyday, we read and hear bad news. Everytime we open the newspapers, we are confronted with suffering, violence and death. It is easy to become apathetic and numb. But as we look at the hundreds of millions of people living in the midst of pain and misery, we must not forget that each one is an individual just like you and I. Each one is made in God’s own image, as Genesis 1:27 tells us.

Does What Is Happening in The World Make Sense?

The Bible talks about a prophecy in Luke 21:9-11, 25, 35, 36 (NIV): “When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away…Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and

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fearful events and great signs from heaven…There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea...For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth…Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Note that this was written 2,000 years ago. Are we experiencing the fulfillment of the prophecy? We do not know for sure. When all seem helpless, we can only go back to basics. We can pray. Matthew 19:26 reminds us that “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”.

We pray to El Shaddai, our one and only Almighty God, and praise Him for all that we have. For God is good, so good that rather than watch mankind perish in our sins, He came and died on the Cross for us. We thank Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, for His mercy and compassion, as hearts are moved and aid and assistance from all sectors come forth for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan, and other places of disaster, and for feeding the hungry in the world.

We pray to El Shalom, the Prince of Peace, to grant wisdom to the world leaders to restore world peace, and bring about stability.

We pray to El Rohi, our Shepherd, to watch over the rescue efforts and the workers as they continue to save all those in the floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other major disasters. We pray for the rescuers to be protected from harm.

We pray to El Shammah, that the Lord be there to contain the nuclear radiation leakage from the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan.

We pray to El Olam, the Everlasting God, that we can ‘be always on the watch, and that [we] may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that [we] may be able to stand before the Son of Man.’

Amen! †

Henry attends the 8am Service and Finders and Seekers PCM group. In his free time, he enjoys being a Volunteer Docent at The Peranakan Museum and trekking. He has three adult sons.

By HENRY TAN

When all seem helpless, we can only go back to basics. We can pray. Matthew 19:26 reminds us that “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”.

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Oh, Lord, when I wake up tomorrowWill things be different?Will the things that I ask of Y ouCome true in the morn?

You know what I have asked forNot riches, or fame, or beauty that will passI only ask that Y ou change my heartAnd make it long for only Y ou

For what is external will passBut what is of Y ou lasts foreverTo seek Y our kingdom & to love Y our peopleTo see the nations worship Y ou

We live in a hurting worldAnd it could do with one less person causing hurtSo change me, change my heart, oh, Lord, I askMake me a different person just for Y ou

change

Tammy loves the following in no chronological order: singing, cats, mobile gadgets and her PCM family - Next Supper. She is currently helping out at the Mandarin Service which is why you don’t see her often. She is also one of the new additions to the church staff team as the ministry assistant for FaithConneXions and would be happy to talk to you if you want to find out about serving within the church or finding your SHAPE for ministry!

By TAMMY ANG

Features

ME

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– God’s Answer to Pain and EvilFor a few Sundays, I was very disturbed while singing ‘God reigns’ in the Celebration Services.

I could not help having images of riots in Middle East, rubbles in Christchurch due to the earthquake and the overturned towns in Japan blurring my vision of God reigning. The image of unfairly victimised children and women from an article I read haunted me while I moved my lips to pronounce ‘God reigns’. I thought of the man whom I met during my Taiwan mission trip years ago. His body was so deformed that he could not walk but literally crawled on his belly begging for money. So much evil and pain, and unanswered whys! How could I sing ‘God reigns’ while there is so much suffering?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in all His wisdom, knew some of us would wonder how we can square the conflicting image of a suffering world with God’s sovereign reign. He taught us to pray ‘Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. While God’s kingdom has come when Jesus came,

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Tse Horng has been blessed by the ministry of Faith’s people and his PCM group (Barnabas) since 1982. He now attends the 11am Service with his wife, Bee Leng and youngest child, Eliora. His other children Zuriel and Karis are in Sun Jam. He hopes to receive comments at tsehorng@gmail.com.

By kHOO TSE HORNG

we are still waiting for it to be fully realised. But can I still sing ‘God reigns’ while I wait for His Kingdom to come?

As I continued to reflect on my struggle to convince myself into singing ‘God reigns’ wholeheartedly, an image of a Lamb who has been slain, standing in the centre of The Throne (Revelation 5:6) came to mind. It is a strange image God has chosen to give us. An ironic image! A lamb, meek and ‘defenceless’, on The Throne, where all the world will be judged and ruled? Yet, it is also from this Lamb that salvation comes (Revelation 7:9). If heaven is a perfect place, God has chosen to let a less-than-perfect mark slip into heaven. It is the mark on the Lamb which ‘looked as if it had been slain’. Surely the new heaven and earth could erase the pain and hurt of past! But instead God chose to allow the slain mark to enter. I think it is to remind us that it is a done deal – that God has removed our sins by Jesus’ death and resurrection once and for all. But it also reminded the first-century believers, and us today, that Jesus who bears the scars of nails driven into His hands, imprints from the crown of thorns etched on His forehead and the pierce mark that went into His heart, went through pain and suffering. Therefore, He understands our suffering and is merciful .

In some verses later, God gave the most assuring words to us: “He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17, NIV)

Theologian Marva Dawn suggested that the image of God wiping away our tears teaches us biblical patience. The image tells us that one day, when His kingship reigns, we do not have to put up with

the imperfection, suffering and pains of this world anymore and forever more. But the comfort is also found here. Where? In each one of us and in our midst.

‘In our midst’ because Jesus promised His disciples that God the Father will send the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor and His peace when he prepared them for His death.

‘In our midst’ because the Church is called “to proclaim the sovereignty of God…to proclaim to kings the judgment – or hope – of God. We are to be people marked instead with the Father’s name, persons who live in total dependence on Christ”. I suppose the response to the evil and pain in our world then is to bring Christ’s love and peace – to extend His tent, His kingdom.

I met a church member one Sunday after Service. He shared that he was in the midst of doing groundwork for an aftercare centre for inmates with AIDS. I was touched. I left the Celebration Service that day smiling, thanking God in my heart that He answered my questions on evil and suffering. The answer is to be simply faithful in living out the love and peace of God here, extending His tent to those in pain. †

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LIGHTsin a Tunnel“There is light at the end of the tunnel!”

This should be a very familiar phrase to us. When someone is going through a crisis, we often like to encourage the person to hang on and never give up because there is still hope in the darkest moment of his life. Walk through the tunnel, press on and at the end, you will find new perspective, meaning or a precious lesson after going through the crisis.

This may be easier if one can see a glimmer of hope, but how many of us are able to continue on if there is no light at all in the tunnel? I think it is much more encouraging for the person to see tiny sparkles of light while he is walking through the darkness, to bring hope so that he can continue the journey. So never belittle these tiny sparkles of light though they seem incomparable to the great, bright light at the end of the tunnel. Without these tiny sparkles, the person may not make it out of the tunnel.

Recently, I have seen such tiny sparkles of light radiating from our church family. They do small and simple acts but these acts of kindness bring hope to those who are in the darkest moment of their lives:

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• Six Pastoral Care Ministry (PCM) groups have been faithfully visiting chronically poor families which received a monthly allowance distributed through the Methodist Welfare Services.

• A PCM group worked with youth from FaithActs to refurbish an elderly resident’s home; they removed the wall tiles, plastered the wall, and painted the kitchen as well as the door. (Read more about it on page 24)

• A PCM group is journeying with a couple to encourage them, knowing that the husband is terminally ill.

• A PCM group member, after visiting a resident with her group, noticed that he needed community services support, and connected him with a social worker from FaithActs.

• A church member has been a volunteer for seven years in a hospice, and journeys with many who are at the end of their life journey.

• A church member has been faithfully visiting elderly persons who live alone with lunch packs daily.

• A church member regularly visited and brought an elderly lady who stayed in the community around our church for her medical check-ups. This elderly was in her final stage of cancer. Though she passed away recently, she experienced love and concern

in the last days of her life. • When I visited someone

who met with an accident recently, he still remembered the care and concern of other Christians whom he met in a course a few years ago, and he is still seeking to know more about Jesus.

Indeed, very rarely will we be involved in a person’s spiritual journey all the way from point A to point Z, and it is daunting to think that it is our sole responsibility to get to know every person, answer every question, and help them to know Jesus. That is why God has given us the church so that we have partners in this grand adventure of pointing someone to God. As a body we can combine our efforts to pray, serve, and communicate in order to help people see, consider, and choose Jesus Christ.

So do not belittle a tiny sparkle of light. Just let it shine, even if it is just for a few seconds. In such moments we become like sparkles of light in the tunnel leading someone to the Light at the end. Your small and simple kindness makes a difference in someone’s darkness! †

Patrick is Senior Lay Ministry Staff with Faith Methodist Church and oversees the Bridge Builders Ministry. A father of one, he has a passion for reaching out to the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

By PATRICk CHUA

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The stillness was a world away from the hustle and bustle of our city lives. The morning air wore heavily on my heart as I trudged across the immaculately mowed lawns. No one likes a trip to the mortuary.

That morning, a dear sister had her life cut short by cancer.

That Morning, We Were

FamilyIn Memory of A Dear Sister, Xiao Jing

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Richard attends the 11am Service with wife Vivian and children Daniel and Michelle. He does his discipleship training with the Heritage PCM group.

By RICHARD SOH

Xiao Jing first lost her husband. Then, she lost her job and was diagnosed with cancer... all in quick succession. Without health insurance, income and family support, her life resembled an empty tin can all ready to be steam-rollered at the very next instance... crushed mercilessly into oblivion.

Our paths had crossed when a friend inquired if I could avail myself to fetch her to the hospital for her cancer treatment. Since I had time on my hands that week, I agreed. My first impression of her was unforgettable – a gaunt, silent, defeated but friendly lady with a big hat to hide her from the harsh Singapore sun. Yet, there was this glimmer of determination to get well, to live a full life despite her circumstances, and the hope to ride through this terrible episode of her life.

Ironically, this “suffering episode” turned out to be a precious season of her life. A few of her friends rallied around her, and brought her to church, where she found herself a newly adopted family. Within weeks, money was raised for her cancer treatment, a new rented apartment was sourced and a schedule was worked out to accompany her for her hospital treatments. Even her daily diet was taken care of by some caring ladies from church who cooked appropriate food to supplement her medical treatment. It was an incredible tale of selfless devotion, friendship and love.

Her adopted family grew each week. More brothers and sisters came into her life. She found people praying with her and for her. She had brothers and sisters rejoicing with her for every small victory, and crying with her each time she brought back unfavourable medical reports. Her husband may have forsaken her and her remaining family may be far away in China, but the final years of her life were filled with friends, brothers and sisters who cared for her, walked with her, prayed with her and journeyed with her through the valley of the shadow of death.

I recalled the song that Christian sang to Hopeful (the two main characters in The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan, 1678):

“When saints do sleep grow, let them come hitherAnd hear how these two pilgrims talk togetherThus to keep open their slumbering eyes

Saints’ fellowship, if it be managed wellKeeps them awake, and that in spite of hell.”

That morning, we remembered the ‘hell’ that she went through. We remembered the times her soul was downcast and beaten, but how it was revived by the saints that came alongside her in Christian fellowship and love. But mostly we remembered how a total stranger became our beloved sister through the fellowship of the Church, and how our Lord Jesus must have smiled in approval of a family that was willing to lay down our differences and individual pursuits to help a fellow pilgrim find the way to Him. We are a family that overcomes ‘hell’ on earth, and brings the Kingdom of God into our world.

That morning, we gathered to mark her final station in the Valley of Death. Her body had succumbed to disease, but her soul has been restored. We were crying because we had lost a dear friend, but our souls rejoiced that one more had found her way back to the Shepherd’s pen. We knew that while we could no longer journey with her, the good Shepherd has already hoisted the lamb on His shoulders, beaming and rejoicing that yet another sheep, once dead but now is alive again...forever.

That morning, we were family. And shall remain so, bonded by the Head of the Household – God Himself.

I recalled the very first song I learnt when I entered the family years ago:

I love this family of GodSo closely knitted into one….They’ve taken me into their heartsAnd I am so glad to be a partOf this great family.

Yes, I am so glad to be part of such a great family! †

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Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, moral degradation, senseless killing, terrorism and murder…the world seems to be going down the pits and lives are lost every day. The evils today are not new; wars, violence, sexual immorality, diseases and natural disasters are mentioned in the Bible. Can the Bible help us make sense of what is going on? Let us take a look at some records of people who went through suffering and pain and we may perhaps glimpse an understanding from their experiences.

Man’s corrupted nature The first human death in history was by murder! The book of Genesis recorded that Cain was jealous that God accepted the sacrifice of his brother, Abel but not his. He directed his anger at Abel and killed him. Ever since man’s fall in the Garden, man’s corrupted nature has been the cause of much evil.

God’s judgment on sin The flood during Noah’s days was the first “natural disaster”. It was God’s judgment on man’s wickedness, corruption and violence. But God gave the people

enough warning and time to repent. There was an interval of 120 years from the pronouncement to the execution of judgment. Then there was the construction of the massive ark in plain sight and Noah’s preaching which would have warned them of the flood. But the people did not turn from their evil ways. They simply went on with their lives, absorbed in worldly pursuits.

During the time of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, the prophets tried to call the people back to God, reminding them that blessings follow obedience but judgment (such as invasion by foreign powers, captivity and exile) follow disobedience. The city of Nineveh was an example of a people (the Assyrians) who averted God’s judgment when they heeded the prophet Jonah’s preaching and repented.

Means to a greater goodIn another biblical story of suffering and injustice, Genesis records that Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers at the tender age of 17. He was later

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imprisoned because of false accusation. One could attribute Joseph’s pain and suffering to his father’s favouritism which led to his brothers’ jealousy and the lust and lies of his Egyptian master’s wife. But 23 years later, as viceroy of Egypt, Joseph discerned a divine purpose behind his suffering.

In Genesis 45:5, he comforted his brothers who came to Egypt to buy grain, saying, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” There was then a widespread famine but Joseph, with God’s presence and help, had stockpiled grain during the years of plentiful harvest to ride out the famine. Joseph’s suffering was to pave the way for the preservation of all Israel.

possessions, wealth and health through a series of dramatic events. We find him sitting among ashes with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head and scratching himself with a piece of broken pottery (Job 2:7). In this instance, we are told that Satan inflicted suffering on Job so as to instigate him to rebel against God.

ConclusionThe reasons for pain and suffering in the Bible are diverse. No one is exempt from suffering – it occurs to both the good and bad.

The book of Job acknowledges that the righteous do suffer. Job’s sufferings were not because of his sins; he was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Yet when God appeared to Job, He did not address the reason for Job’s suffering. Instead God fired a battery of questions such as: Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?

What was God’s point? There are many things that a finite human does not know and cannot do. If Job cannot understand God’s ways then how can he judge God’s management of the universe? Instead of chiding God for treating him unjustly, Job must learn in suffering to trust God by enlarging his concept of Him…that God is all-wise, all-good and all-powerful. Job finally acknowledges “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

What is your concept of God? †

Husband of one and father of two adult sons, Alan is a teacher at SunJam@10, ACJC and the Acting National Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Singapore. He is the author of “Building the Next Generation”, a book on dramatised family devotions for preschoolers and early primaries. He is also the webmaster of a parenting and education website.

By ALAN WONG

The reasons for pain and suffering in the Bible are diverse. No one is exempt from suffering – it occurs to both the good and bad.

Features

Means to maturityYoung Joseph was naïve, even proud. He blurted to his brothers about his dreams which portrayed them bowing to him. Yet years later, we see a different Joseph – one who patiently kept his identity a secret and put his brothers through a drawn-out emotional drama (Genesis 42-45). If Joseph did not go through pain and suffering, he probably would not have become a patient, humble, forgiving and wise man.

God disciplines us for our good and when discipline is received positively, it produces righteousness. Trials and tests of our faith produce not only sorrow but also perseverance and maturity.

Satan’s temptation of manThe book of Job perhaps records one of the most intense of human suffering that happened to anyone. Overnight, Job lost everything literally – his family,

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The world does not often make sense. And in order for it to make sense we must know what we are pursuing. Take a selah moment (pause, interlude, stop) to think: “What do I truly long for?”

I wonder what comes to your mind. I wonder how long you have been longing for it.

On 26 February, we had a talk on Soul Care during which we learnt about the importance of caring for our own spiritual lives and those of our neighbours. As I was reflecting on how to care for my soul and what would keep it safe and strong in the midst of the physical and emotional storms of life, the word ‘longing’ came to mind.

[noun]: strong persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant

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The longing in our hearts affects the way we perceive reality. It could be a longing to be loved and accepted, recognised and appreciated, and so on..It could also be a longing for something, or someone, that we would like to have, or be with. This longing within our hearts motivates us and directs our actions. It even influences our assumptions about people around us (with regard to whether they will help or hinder us). In short, we live in the hope of what we long for.

Let us recall the emotions that bubbled up within us when we had obtained what we longed for; perhaps it was that dream job, new home, success, fame... The feelings of excitement, great joy and boundless energy just seemed to flow unceasingly from within and we basked in the warm glow of contentment. However, after seemingly attaining the highest point of our life, quickly we would descend from that mountain peak experience. We harbour (again) another type of longing that we are so certain (again) will fill us completely, despite repeated evidence to the contrary.

Like a disciplined athlete who has trained hard from young to be in that big race where he could finally grasp that yearned-for gold medal, it is never enough. The longing is never fully satisfied, or filled, as there always will be ‘one more gold’ to run for. Similarly, ‘Now that I’ve got this, what’s next?’ almost immediately comes to mind to make us feel discontented again. The key question here is, ‘Is there just one true longing that we must satisfy or forever be in want?’

The disappointments throughout life will become unbearable without the confidence that your longing can be filled and be forever satisfied by...by what you may ask?

The only answer, I say to you, is by Jesus Christ alone.

Let me close by sharing my deepest longing. I long for the day when Christ comes again. The thought of being able to see Him face to face in all His beauty for eternity is indeed overwhelming. This sense of longing can be described in this song inspired by Psalms 42: “As the deer panteth for the water so my soul longeth after Thee. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship You.” A longing for Christ alone, to behold His face and enjoy being in His presence is what will truly satisfy us. But we cannot long for who we do not know. Therefore I submit to you that as you know Christ more and more, you will be so drawn by His love and greatness that you will no longer be attracted by anything else on this earth. Know that the very strength that you use in your longing comes from God. Are you ready to be filled by Him?

Have we longed for God in the way two lovers long to be in each other’s presence? Did those love songs sung during Sunday Services (and daily we must too) come from our hearts beating for Him alone? Do not let your worship be in vain. Instead let your soul be made well in the knowledge of Christ’s unfailing love for you.

Yes, there may be many things in life we long for but all will be fulfilled in the one true longing, Jesus Christ. Come to Christ and be satisfied in Him alone. †

Ming Li has a degree in Psychology and a Specialist Diploma in Counselling and is currently serving as Counsellor in Faith Methodist Church.

By CHONG MING LI

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The following were the 12 selected organisations:

1. BANGLADESH BAWN TRIBAL BAPTIST CHURCHThe Bangladesh Bawn Tribal Baptist Church has been undertaking outreach work to 11 ethnic tribal peoples. Pastors, church workers, and evangelists have been working in different ethnic tribal villages on the mountains in the depths of the Chittagong Hill Tracts — Bandarban Hill District, Rangamati Hill District, and Khagrachari Hill District. The ethnic tribal people are receptive to the Gospel, and many have come to know the Lord. 21 tribal Baptist Churches have been planted in the remote area of Bandarban Hill District itself. They are in a great need

Giving is not just the prerogative of an individual. Just as individual Christians tithe 10 per cent or more of their income in obedience to the biblical command, as a church, Faith Methodist Church also demonstrates obedience in the area of giving.

At the closing of the Financial Year 2009/2010, Faith was blessed with a surplus of S$1,762,700. S$180,000 was designated as the Church’s tithe, in the form of giving S$15,000 each to 12 non-profit organisations.

Faith2 01 0Gifts

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3. FEBA LIMITEDFEBA Limited is a member of the Far East Broadcasting Corporation International. Its mission is to develop radio programming and deliver it to listeners in Asia in such a way that they move toward Jesus Christ and into the fellowship of His Church and know Him as Saviour and Lord. FEBA broadcasts can be heard almost everywhere worldwide via high-powered AM and shortwave broadcasts – and the Internet – in over 150 languages and Chinese dialects.

4. INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION (IJM)(directed to their work in Southeast Asia)International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.

IJM’s justice professionals work in their communities in 12 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems. In Southeast Asia, IJM staff work on the frontlines to bring rescue and relief to victims of sexual violence, including trafficked women and children, and to prosecute their perpetrators.

5. INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (ILI) (directed to train emerging leaders in Asia)The International Leadership Institute accelerates the spread of the Gospel around the world by training and mobilising leaders of leaders to reach their nations with the Gospel of Jesus

of follow-up ministry in the tribal Baptist Churches in order to grow spiritually, and they in turn can plant a new church. As the tribal Baptist Churches in the villages are very poor, they cannot support the church planter, evangelist, and pastor.

2. DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION (DSA), SINGAPOREDSA is a self-funding and non-profit voluntary welfare organisation with IPC (Institute of Public Character) status, working closely and regularly with healthcare and educational professionals, as well as other voluntary welfare organisations. DSA aims to provide support and to enable a person with Down syndrome to attain his or her full potential; to help a person with Down syndrome to lead a “normal” life and thus be able to contribute to society and educate the public on Down syndrome.

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8. ST. JOHN’S HOME FOR ELDERLY PERSONS St. John’s Home For Elderly Persons was established as a voluntary organisation to provide shelter and care for the elderly, irrespective of race or religion. While those who can afford contribute towards their upkeep, there are many who are on public assistance and others for whom the Home is the principal support, as they have no one to provide for them financially.

Over the years, the Home has expanded its accommodation in line with demand and is presently able to house comfortably 99 residents.

There are many regular activities for the residents and these include physiotherapy, handicraft and Bible study in Chinese dialects and in English. Regular interdenominational worship Services are held for Christian residents. Chaplains are also available for counseling and general care.

9. THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF SINGAPOREThe mission of the Bible Society is to make the Bible available to people in a language they can understand, at a price they can afford and in the format they can use, and to help them interact with the Word of God.

In addition to subsidising the publishing of Bibles and Scripture distribution activities in countries that are not able to support themselves fully, the Bible Society of Singapore also heavily subsidises the distribution of Scripture to prisoners, drug rehabilitation trainees, the old, the blind and disabled in Singapore.

Christ. Strategically selected leaders receive advanced training in leadership, evangelism, and multiplication. Graduates are equipped to develop and achieve measurable evangelism goals for their nations, including an emphasis on church planting in unreached areas of the world. Furthermore, graduates then apply the principle of multiplication by training 100 or more leaders within two years. Priority is given to leaders from nations where the Gospel is least accessible. Since 1998, ILI has equipped more than 7,500 men and women in more than 30 nations.

6. NAVIGATORS SINGAPOREThe Navigators is an apostolic, multicultural partnership raised by God to advance the Gospel of Jesus and His kingdom into the nations through generations of labourers living and discipling among the lost.

7. SIM EAST ASIASIM are an international and interdenominational mission agency seeking to bring the Good News to people in partnership with churches. They adopt a holistic approach to meet the needs of a person and aims to glorify God through planting, strengthening and partnering with churches around the world. There are more than 1,800 missionaries making an impact in over 40 countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

SIM East Asia is responsible for about 50 Asian missionaries who serve in 20 different countries. It serves the region in consolidation of resources, recruiting and dispatching of missionaries, provision of support services to missionaries and overseeing the eight offices of East Asia.

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Home Front

10. THE TURNING POINTThe Turning Point is the fourth attempt by the Christian Community since 1970 to set up a refuge of recovery for women who are seeking for recovery from drug addiction in Singapore. Besides reaching out to mandated clients, The Turning Point continues its practice of taking in women addicts from the streets. In recent years, with increase recidivism in other behavioural addiction such as alcoholism, problem gambling and domestic violence, The Turning Point is also reaching out to younger clients who fall into the trap of vices and crime.

11. WORLD RELIEFWorld Relief’s mission is empowering the local Church to serve the most vulnerable people to transform them economically, socially, and spiritually.

World Relief’s church-centred Child Development Programme impacts the lives of tens of thousands of children and youth in Cambodia, Mozambique and Malawi, fostering physical, emotional and spiritual growth. Children are taught about health and hygiene, and they develop important life skills, including conflict resolution, often while learning from Bible stories.

Within the framework of the local church – an extended family of care and support – children are protected and cared for, nurtured and nourished for years to come, shaping a generation of young people with Christian values and leadership qualities.

12. YOUTH WITH A MISSION SINGAPOREThe founder of Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Loren Cunningham believed that the Great Commission can be completed in our time – to reach every nation on earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the drive to reach every people is both YWAM’s biblical responsibility, and inherent in its earliest roots as a mission, permeating its corporate calling.

Today, YWAM Singapore endeavours to be a vibrant international discipling community to raise a harvest force for missions into Asia. †

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“The smile on the owner’s face warmed my heart,” shares Hong Jie,16, a student and a volunteer with TEAM FaithActs.

In January, Hong Jie and other youths from FaithActs as well as a PCM (Pastoral Care Ministry) small group from Faith Methodist Church embarked on a TEAM FaithActs project, an initiative to help needy Tanglin Halt residents through community service. In the likes of the television programme RenovAid, these volunteers helped to remodel an old kitchen. They hacked the kitchen tiles, plastered the wall, and painted the kitchen wall and door with a fresh coat of paint.

“I wasn’t sure at first what to expect and I was afraid that I might not be able to

do a good job like hacking the wall tiles,” recounted Hong Jie. Even the adults shared similar sentiments. Humphrey Hum, leader of the PCM group also acknowledged, “Initially it seemed quite an impossible task as the work involved was beyond our capability. We had to assess the unit and talk with the resident a few times before we decided to remove the tiles of two sections of the kitchen wall as they were already loose. We are grateful for the help of FaithActs and their youth. With combined resources and manpower, we managed to do a lot more!” “Yes, after we started, it felt easier and I found it fun to do all these things, and at the same time to be able to help people in need,” added Hong Jie.

renovation withTEAM FaithActs:

LOVE

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Home Front

TEAM FaithActs has a vision for all youths to serve society through community service. This initiative started only in October 2010, and aims to inspire youths to give towards a cause greater than themselves.

The project proved to be a daunting task for the youths aged 16 to 18 years old, but with a willing spirit and a teachable heart, they learned quickly from the adults in the PCM group and did a fantastic job as a team!

Humphrey shared that there are still two outstanding tasks which they would need to go back for, but “although the near-completion project is far from perfect, we have tried our best to fulfill all the resident’s requirements. It has been a very encouraging and satisfying task. Not only were we able to help the resident with her needs, it also provided a good opportunity for us to bond with the FaithActs team. Indeed, we thank God for giving us this opportunity to ‘see a need and meet it’!” †

TEAM FaithActs provides community assistance to needy Tanglin Halt/Commonwealth residents. This includes painting and cleaning homes, moving bulky items etc. A social worker will visit the resident’s home to do an assessment. The criteria include: • Families with low income and in need

of financial assistance.• The resident is unable to do the cleaning

and/or painting on his own.• The resident consents to receiving

community assistance from TEAM FaithActs.

Please contact Serene Tan (Social Worker) at 64751509 or email serenetan@faithacts.org.sg

Brian is a social worker with FaithActs and is married to Carol.

By BRIAN zHANG

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I entered the room and saw a lady hunched over her Bible, engrossed in study. The lone figure sat in stark contrast to the brightly coloured furniture around her. A few seconds later, she looked up and gave me her usual beautiful smile.

Nancy Tan was one of the first people I knew in Faith Methodist Church – somehow, though she strives to be in the background, her big heart for people makes her hard to ignore. We have met at the most unlikely places – wakes, funerals, hospitals. Where there are people in need, there she would be. Besides being involved in the Wake ministry and doing hospital visitations, she is also a Pastoral Care Ministry (PCM) group leader. Leadership is a famously

Jewels in theMAkinG

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shunned word in the church; the Christian community is eager and ready to serve, but leadership smacks of challenges, responsibilities and a perceived gifting of the few. But God calls us to be both followers of Jesus and leaders of others to follow Jesus. And Nancy experienced this struggle head-on with the Lord.

“When I was first asked to be Apprentice Leader, I was reluctant. I felt I was a nobody compared to the better-educated ladies in the church. I felt I was inadequate because I don’t know the Bible well enough. How can I possibly be a leader?”

“The next day, I was doing my daily devotion and God spoke to me through Exodus 4:10-12. In this passage, Moses confessed to God his lack of eloquence and slowness in speech, only to be met with God’s reply, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ Then I recalled that some of Jesus’ disciples were also mere fishermen,” shared Nancy.

Named “Jewels”, Nancy’s small group traces its roots back to a Bible study group in the late 1960s. She started as Apprentice Leader and took over the leadership baton in 2005.

Home Front

God sure had a sense of humour. Two weeks after Nancy took a step of faith to be Apprentice Leader, her then PCM group leader left and she had no choice but to assume leadership. She recalled, “I was very fearful at first. How do I cope? Furthermore, in the first few months only three to five members would turn up for our weekly meetings.” Even her husband jokingly advised her to “close shop”! But Nancy continued to pray and slowly, more ladies joined the group. It currently has 22 members on its roll, with a regular attendance of some 12 to 15 people.

As our conversation carried on, the ladies began to arrive in the room for their PCM meeting that night, and Nancy was distracted with hellos and chit-chats. The bonding was evident. Nancy was full of gratitude for the people God brought into the group to help her. She spoke fondly of her Apprentice Leader, Alice Wong, who “helped turn [her] fear into joy because she gives very good support”, as well as “wonderful ladies who are united to pray and care for one another, rallying around other ladies in the group who are in need.”

The saying, “God will not lead you to a place where His grace cannot keep you” is evidently true of Nancy’s call to be a leader. Her humble ways reveal a heart of obedience to the One who calls and equips her. “If you are willing to serve the Lord, He will guide you. He will send helpers,” said Nancy. “God never put me to shame. He is the teacher of the group. I started with fear and trembling but God gave me very good support through the pastors, our Parish

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“Sundays are not enough. All of us need the support of a small group. I feel comfortable in Jewels and enjoy working with Nancy.” ~ Alice

“I see the faithfulness of people here who come from very diverse backgrounds. I’m very grateful for Nancy and Alice’s leadership and I would advise people to make a commitment to a PCM group.” ~ Hannah

“We get a lot of help from Nancy and Alice; they are always here for us. I was baptised in 1999 and since joining a PCM group, I learnt a lot and received encouragement to grow spiritually.” ~ Peck Har

“Nancy has been a very concerned and caring leader. I feel I have grown in my faith in this group!” ~ Lina

“I love our two leaders very much. They have devoted their lives and time to us. I have learnt spiritual practices such as prayer, and our Bible study helps me gain knowledge of and love for God.” ~ Elsie

“During my trying times with my family and my Dad’s hospitalisation and passing on, the group has touched me in many ways. I am glad to be part of this wonderful group of ladies who have stood by each other. The leaders go all out to help. They are models for me to walk in their ways.” ~ Sarah

As Faith moves towards becoming a small group church and the cry for more leaders rings out from the PCM Ministry, may we hear God’s voice when He calls, and heed His call when He speaks. And speaking of being a small group church, if you are not in a PCM group yet, it is time to take the same step of faith. In the words of Nancy, “If you want to grow spiritually, PCM is the only way.” †

Leader, my group members. And in fact, being a leader has drawn me closer to God as I prepare and read the lessons over and over again, and seek His wisdom to lead and care for the ladies.”

And the ladies have only encouragement and affirmation for their leaders.

True to her role as Communications Manager at Faith Methodist Church, Noelle loves ideas, designs and all things beautiful. She is always game for a good debate and an intellectual conversation, but never for romantic pursuits like literature and poetry.

By NOELLE TANG

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“Your staff and volunteers from FaithActs Seniors went door-to-door in our neighbourhood with tremendous effort and diligence to help needy seniors and to bring us to the workout sessions for exercise and stretching, so as to reduce our pains and illnesses. Your good deeds were deeply felt and in fact beyond measure,” says Mr Teong Ching Keok, a resident of Block 112 Commonwealth Crescent. Mr Teong and his wife attend the WOW workout session at FaithActs, Block 76 Commonwealth Drive.

WOW stands for ‘We’re of Worth’ and is a service brought to the neighbourhood by FaithActs Seniors, aimed at promoting an active and healthy lifestyle among the elderly. “Mr Teong told us his health was poor so we encouraged him to attend the WOW programme conducted by FaithActs,” shares Tang Kwok Seng, a volunteer from Faith Methodist Church. “He agreed to attend and was very happy with the sessions and made some new friends there.”

The WOW workout aims to create awareness among the elderly on how to exercise in a safe and wise manner. During the first session, participants need to go through a pre-exercise screening

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: FaithActs Seniors Programme Coordinator Ms Sandra Woo

Email: sandrawoo@faithacts.org.sg

Telephone: 6479 1509

Thank You!WOW! that includes a clinical test, questionnaire, an introduction to safety concepts, monitoring heart rate and more. At the final session, participants are given a post-class assessment.

The regime includes flexibility, endurance, strength, and balance exercises to help seniors achieve better health.

“Our group of volunteers took turns to ferry him to the workout sessions,” added Kwok Seng. “We also visited him during some of the sessions.”

After a hearty workout, Mr Teong and other participants wind down with interesting board games, food and singing songs of yesteryears.

“The care and concern of the volunteers helped alleviate the feelings of loneliness that us seniors often feel,” beamed Mr Teong, who has since completed the 10-week exercise programme. “The immense respect for us as elderly was evident.” †

Home Front

Flora attends the 11am Service and is the PCM leader of Candles, a group for young professionals. She enjoys dragon boating and canoeing and is currently pursuing further studies.

By FLORA kHOO

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Godiva Ysip and Esther Ong are no strangers to many of us in Faith Methodist Church, having been with us for more than 15 years. They are perhaps aptly called ‘movers’ both in the literal and figurative sense. Having had myriad experiences of moving different ministries under their belts to greater heights, they also epitomise godly servants who continue to grow and learn and take on new challenges for the Lord. Both have recently moved out of their long-held roles and undertaken new areas of ministry, and I had the privilege of meeting up with them for a short chat.

with rendezvous

Movers a

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Faithlink: Please give us a short introduction of yourselves for those who may not know you.

Esther: I grew up in Faith Methodist Church and came to know the Lord at 11 years old through Sunday school. After graduation and six years in the commercial world, I heard God’s calling to serve Him in the area of missions, took the step of faith and spent three years in Indonesia.

Godiva: I grew up in a Christian family and accepted Jesus as my Saviour when I was 10 years old. I sensed the call to full-time ministry when I was 18 and after some twists and turns, I started my first full-time ministry with an evangelistic team that helped Filipino churches in their outreach, followed by a few years in Europe and Africa. I came to Singapore in 1996 and joined Faith’s pastoral team.

Faithlink: Please share with us your experiences in Faith, past portfolios and challenges in transition.

Esther: After graduating from Trinity Theological College, I served as the Lay Ministry Staff (LMS) for missions and evangelism in Faith for about six years before being sent to serve overseas. After three years of field experience, I returned to serve as LMS for missions again for another six years. Then I moved to become the LMS for FaithFormation for a year before recently becoming the Parish Leader for youths.

Transitions are always hard. There were times of self-doubt, uneasiness and fear of my inability to cope with new responsibilities and expectations. However, it is during such times that I discovered more about myself and my need to depend on God for wisdom and strength.

Godiva: I joined Faith’s pastoral team to oversee the Filipino ministry, then later as a Parish Leader. I am still doing the former concurrently with my new appointment in International Ministry (IM) now. I have also been involved in what was then the Faith Academy of Lay Training or FALT, which was Faith’s equipping

ministry. Later, I was placed in charge of the Faith Membership Class or FMC 101, and journeyed with persons who desired baptism and membership in Faith. I was also with the Women ministry for a few years.

The most memorable of my roles was my involvement in PCM as Parish Leader, where I worked with more than 40 PCM leaders and some 200 PCM members, including their families, relatives and friends. This role allowed for interactions with many brothers and sisters which allowed me to make many treasured and close friends. Transition have always been a challenge but manageable since I know that I am serving Him who gives me strength to move and press on!

Faithlink: Were there any special contributions or personal accomplishments which were especially meaningful to you?

Esther: For me, it was designing a manual to facilitate the preparation and debrief for short-term mission trippers and sharing it with other churches and mission agencies. But what brings me most satisfaction is seeing a number of Indonesian girls in the Indonesian Ministry becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, getting baptised, and growing in their faith through their struggles as domestic helpers.

Godiva: Raising and developing a pool of PCM leaders was a personal accomplishment for me as they are equipped and deployed to care and reach

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out to fellow members and disciples of God. It is also a great joy for me to see Filipinos come to Jesus and grow more mature in their spiritual lives, and it is definitely awesome to see people publicly confessing and professing their faith through baptism and becoming members of the Faith Church family!

Faithlink: Moving forward, please share with us on your new ministry.

Esther: I am now a Parish Leader for The TackleBox (TTB), the youth ministry of Faith. This role allows me to interact with the youths and guide them into fulfilling God’s purposes in their lives. My primary focus for now is coaching the Team Leaders and mentoring the Small Group Leaders.

Godiva: After serving as Parish Leader for more than a decade, I am redeployed as Senior Lay Ministry Staff to International Ministry. I see my role as helping our Faith Church family to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) in their lives and be God’s witnesses even to ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Faithlink: How has God prepared you for this new season of ministry?

Esther: Though the opportunity arose previously, I did not feel the calling to take on the role earlier. I felt very inadequate as it would seem that someone younger, with higher energy levels and a more flexible time schedule should take up the role.

However, during my time as a Congregational Staff at the TTB Celebration Service for over a year, I found it quite enjoyable working with the youth leaders and in retrospect, this could be God’s way of opening my heart to love and serve the youths. Hence, when the opportunity came up again, I accepted the role and challenge to disciple the next generation of leaders for Christ.

Godiva: I have always had a passion for international ministry all these years. However, my commitment to pastoral care ministry took prominence. When I was first asked to consider a new ministry in August 2009, I was preoccupied with other concerns and I did not listen to the tug to move. It was only 17

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months later when I felt a stirring by the Holy Spirit to take action and follow where He is leading me.

Faithlink: When have you started on the new role and how has it been thus far? Please do share with us your goals in the near future too.

Esther: My new appointment started in January 2011 and I am starting from ground zero with regard to the youth ministry. But having read a few books about youths in the X and Y generations, God impressed upon me the need to build relationships. In short, my first goal is to love them.

It was tough for me to keep away from helping the youths run their ministries because of my love to organise things! But I have since learnt to let go and allow them to do ministry the way they want, while I focus on mentoring the leaders. I also have to constantly remember that if the leaders are walking right with God, they will run the youth ministry rightly.

Godiva: I have only started on my IM role since 1 March, hence everything is still very new to me and I am still learning the processes and tasks. I believe that each one of us is called to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and commissioned to be partners with him in the furtherance of His kingdom. To “go and make disciples of all nations” is one of the purposes of our church family. We have adopted some countries as our target places to fulfill our vision of planting churches among the indigenous people. I pray that we would be able to catch the heartbeat of God for the world.

Faithlink: Before we close, how about sharing some interesting bits about you that no one knows about?

Esther: I am OCD – not Obsessive, Compulsive and Dysfunctional but Organised, Compassionate and Diligent! Haha!

Godiva: Well, I think I am well-placed in “International” Ministry because I came from a family of internationals! In my family, there are five different nationalities – Filipinos, Singaporean, Americans, Canadians and Kiwis, residing in six countries in four continents! That is why planning for holidays and reunions is a great challenge and when it happens it is very precious!

Faithlink: To wrap up, any personal mandate or Bible verse which you keep close to your heart, especially during this time of transition?

Esther: Romans 8:28 – this verse has always been a great source of hope and strength because it reminds me that God is in control and wants only the best for me whether I understand it or not.

Godiva: I have had countless moments when I really wanted to give up because of some challenges that were beyond my capacity. But I was always comforted by Jesus when he said that “no one who has left home or family for me and the Gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much…” (Mark 10:29). I was reminded that this is His plan for my life, “not to harm me but to give me a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). And most importantly, “He who has called me is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Surely, He will not lead me to where He cannot keep me and take care of me. †

Lynette attends the 10am Service and occasionally the 11am, as well as Shalom PCM group. She works as an Analyst and in her free time, loves travelling and reading. She is also an avid dog lover and proclaims her German Shepherd Hugo as her pride and joy!

By LYNETTE NG

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Faithlink had a one-to-one chat with Timothy Tan, who joined the Faith Methodist Church Ministry staff in February 2011. He is one of the parish leaders in the Pastoral Care Ministry (PCM).

Timothy, 52, reads widely and collects videos to supplement his Bible teachings. An avid soccer fan, he follows the Barclays Premier League in his spare time. In better days, he played squash, swam and jogged.

He is married to Elsie who is an accounts executive in a small firm. They have two daughters – Eudora, 23, who is working and pursuing a part-time degree course, and Evangelin, 20, a final-year Polytechnic student.

FAITHLINK: What made you want to come to serve in Faith Methodist Church?

Timothy: Honestly, I really do not know. I suppose it must be God’s divine providence. About two years ago, I responded to an advertisement for a Lay Ministry staff position in this church. At the end of 2009, Pastor Shih Ming and I discussed the possibility of me joining the Pastoral Care Ministry. But as I was pursuing a counselling course at the Singapore Bible College (SBC) then, I was unsure of formally applying for the post, and so left it at that.

After graduating from SBC, I began looking at ministry work elsewhere in Singapore in October 2010. That lay ministry staff position at Faith would have been filled by now, I thought to myself, since a year had already passed.

So imagine my surprise when my wife told me she had heard from a friend that the vacancy is still open! Both Elsie and her friend urged me to apply for the post, which I did. I confided in God that I was leaving the outcome to Him. The reply came from Faith and as they say, the rest is history.

FAITHLINK: Fill us in on your first month at Faith.

Timothy: It was trying at times during that first month. I had to digest loads of information about the various ministries. But the friendly and patient staff at Faith helped smoothened the process of integration. It will take some time but I look forward to getting to know the church members.

FAITHLINK: Please share with us on how you came to know the Lord.

Timothy: A mischievous act changed my outlook on life and death when I was 11 and a Primary

Getting to Know Timothy Tan

Out of Mischief:

Harry and wife Grace attend the 11am Service. They belong to a PCM group led by Mr Fong Ngan Keong.

By HARRY TAN

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5 student. Our family lived in the Chai Chee HDB estate and during a term break, I went to school for volleyball practice. It started to rain when I arrived. I sought shelter but the school gate was locked. Hastily, I climbed up the barbed fencing. I lost my balance midway and in a desperate bid to break the fall, I grabbed hold of the barbed wire. My left palm suffered a deep cut as a result. Alone and writhing in pain, I thought hard: ‘What if I had died?’

Well, I survived! The scar on my palm serves as a reminder of that agonising moment which turned my life around.

After that incident, my second brother, a Christian, brought me to a village youth group where I learned of Jesus and how and why He died for me. Later on, while in secondary school, a few of my schoolmates and I envisaged forming a Christian fellowship. The bond we shared during those years still evokes fond memories, for it was then, in 1973, that I was baptised.

FAITHLINK: What has been your biggest challenge?

Timothy: I was called to serve in a Presbyterian church in the east coast. The first six years were the most challenging, as I struggled to gain acceptance from the church members. With God’s grace and guidance, I persevered in the next two years and finally fulfilled the tasks set out for me. After completing the eight-year term with the church, I moved on, assured by the knowledge that abiding love and goodwill won the day. I am heartened that the people whom I served still remembers me fondly this day.

FAITHLINK: Give us an insight into your ministry at Faith and what you hope to achieve.

Timothy: I am really blessed that there is already a good team here in the PCM Ministry. It means I need not have to start from scratch! I hope to work with the Pastors to achieve the God-given goal of moving Faith towards becoming a small-group church, one that will transform lives and impact change in the world.

FAITHLINK: Try encapsulating one happy moment of your life.

Timothy: The day I got married to Elsie was one of the high points in my life!

FAITHLINK: What about your past times and hobbies?

Timothy: I do not have any particular hobby. But I do enjoy sitting by the beach and listening to the waves.

FAITHLINK: Describe your favourite food and makan place and why they are your choices.

Timothy: Looking at my build, you would think that I love to eat. I don’t, and as such, I do not have any particular makan place or favourite food, least of all exotic food! I eat to live! †

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Mr Richard Ting, who has been Faith Methodist Church’s International Ministry (IM) Director since 2006, will be moving on to a new ministry in an Anglican Church where he will be involved in missions work, as well as the young adult ministry and ministry to the international community in Singapore. Faithlink catches up with Richard for a farewell chat.

Prior to his appointment as the IM Director for Faith on 1 September 2006, Richard had served full-time at Campus Crusade for Christ for 26 years. At that time, he was also serving in a few ministries in Faith. After a challenge by Pastor Shih Ming to serve full-time and 72 hours of prayer in December 2005, Richard felt God’s calling and began his ministry the next year.

What was his biggest challenge during his term? Richard shared that one of the issues he had to grapple was a lack of manpower. Hence, the first thing he did was to build and develop an International Ministry Leadership Team (IMLT) that would help to expand the ministry. At present, most of the team members in the IMLT are fairly new, and is one that boasts of great commitment, effectiveness and unity. Richard spoke fondly of how the team had aided overseas ministries, one of which involved helping to build a multi-purpose hall for the church-planting work in Don Tanin, Thailand, as well as providing training in community development for the Faith church family.

The success of the team under Richard’s leadership is indeed a treasured memory that he will hold on to. Yet, Richard knew that the people in Faith will be what he would miss most. In his own words, he shared on his treasured memories of Faith:

“The IMLT is a great team. We served together and shared our joys and struggles and upheld each other in prayer. They were like a family to me. I also enjoyed praying for the worshippers before the 8am

HEAvyBiDDinG FArEWELL To ricHArD TinG

WITH Love:

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Service. I got to know many of them personally and it was great to be able to walk alongside them in their times of need. It was a wonderful experience to see the youth in The TackleBox Service serving God and taking on leadership roles. I knew some of them since they were toddlers as they are the children of my friends in Faith. At the 10am Service, the fellowship and chit-chat sessions at the ACJC (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) canteen helped to bind us together, and that is something I will miss. I also enjoyed welcoming the worshippers together with the greeters and ushers of the 11am Service. I cherish the hugs from the members, especially the children. They are adorable and very loving and have made this uncle feel so loved! The pastoral and admin staff team are very caring colleagues and I love making coffee for some of them, as well as feeding them. The hardest thing for me to leave

Faith is the people. I love them very much. I have been in Faith since 1979 and my children grew up in Faith...”

Faith will miss Richard too, and we wish him the best in his continued service in God’s work and His Kingdom. †

Home Front

Si Min attends the 11am Service with her mother. She loves musing, daydreaming and writing.

By QUEk SI MIN

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It was a sea of national day colours at the Attic as most people who came for the Parish Gathering wore either white or red in accordance with the theme. After a delicious dinner at the Attic, we played human “Bingo” at the Worship Hall to get to know one another. We had great fun trying our best to find out “who likes what”, ‘who knows this’ and ‘who has what habits’!

Parish Gathering18 February 2011

Soh Lan’s

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Shirina attends the 11am Service and VIP PCM group. She is passionate about teaching and motivating others.

By SHIRINA YAP

I was absolutely touched by the “Crazy Love” video shown during the programme for our reflection as well as the message by Pastor Joel. I was reminded to sing and pray with passion and out of love for God. Whether it be praying before a meal or praying for others, we can make a difference with our prayers! Every prayer is a testimony of God to others. It is not a monotonous chore. Pastor Joel shared from the Parable of the Ten Virgins and exhorted us to be like the Five Virgins with enough oil and ready for their bridegroom; to go beyond our “chores” to find joy in what we do and as a small group to make a difference for Jesus.

I was touched by God’s love and faithfulness through our time together. The gathering affirmed that God’s people care. †

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Surely children weren’t made for the streetsAnd fathers were not made to leaveSurely this isn’t how it should beLet Your Kingdom come

And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that’s brokenTo be Your hands and feetAnd I will give with the life that I’ve been givenAnd go beyond religion to see the world be changed

A Life-changing Trip To Surabaya

Lincoln Brewster’s “The Power of Your Name” rang true for a group of 14 adults and 16 children from Faith Methodist Church’s JAMZone (children church at Faith’s 11am Service) when they witnessed fractured communities of unwed mothers, orphans and slum dwellers in a world unlike their own. They became Jesus’ hands and feet to bring love and joy to people who have less than they do, but instead realised that they have been more blessed than before.

In A

Hands And FeetHands And FeetFractured Community

Vivian attends the 11am Service with husband Richard and children Daniel and Michelle. She does her discipleship training with Heritage PCM group.

By vIvIAN SIA

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On 12 March, we embarked on a life-changing mission trip to Surabaya. For some of the children, it was their very first. We are so thankful that we managed to collect milk powder, milk bottles and clothes for the orphans whom we will be visiting prior to the trip. We even received a gift of two guitars!

We visited an orphanage called Pondok Hayat, which means ‘shelter of life’ in Indonesian. Pondok Hayat started as a shelter for unwed mothers and came to become an orphanage too. Our Singapore children spent time praying and playing with the orphans there. I was really touched to see that there are no barriers when we want to share God’s love, for all the children just bonded as one big family and our kids were filled with compassion and love.

Visiting the orphaned children was heartbreaking. Some of them clung on to the adults as we carried them. They really longed for human touch and love. It was really painful for us to leave them but we will always pray for them as they are all God’s precious children.

On the second day, we organised a Games Carnival at Pondok Hayat. Our JAMZone children prayed for good weather and God granted us perfect weather although the sky was very dark! We had six game stations for the children to participate, and we gave out basic necessities like cooking oil, milk, soap, toothbrush...etc as prizes. That was indeed a good community outreach and opportunity to build rapport with the 260 villagers and children.

The third day was spent at the slum areas. On our way, we drove pass many beautiful mansions – the contrast between the rich and the poor was hard to comprehend. At the slums, we saw the villagers sorting out rubbish and foraging for something worthy to sell. Our children did not complain about the muddy road or smell, but walked along the

For a child’s perspective of the trip, read Vivian’s 9-year old daughter Michelle Soh’s day-to-day journal of what she saw and experienced in Surabaya on pg 42.

narrow paths to greet the villagers, much to our admiration and pride. Indeed, our local partner later commented, “I was touched by the way the children served without complaints as one body, and how the Spirit of God moved through them!” Later, the children shared how fortunate they are to be living so comfortably in Singapore with proper roofs over their heads, food and sanitation. We prayed that we will not take God’s blessings for

granted.

We also held a mini Games Carnival at Pelita, a school for the slum children who enjoyed the games. The carnival also gave our JAMZone

children a wonderful opportunity to know the local kids.

It was but a short four-day trip, but we had seen how the people in Surabaya give thanks for the simple things in life, worshipping God with such abundance and joy. We also saw the great need of the healing Gospel in the lives of the abandoned children and fractured community. The children reflected that they had been blessed and wanted to return to Surabaya again; Some of us even want to improve our Bahasa Indonesian so that we can communicate better with the locals!

This mission trip not only opened our eyes to see how blessed we are but also awakened our spiritual lives. We returned to Singapore feeling refreshed, renewed and recharged. We pray that God will continue to let the fire burn inside us as we want to do more! So when the next trip comes along, I encourage you to make that first step and allow God to make you His hands and feet, to be blessed as we partner our Lord Jesus in transforming lives and changing the world!

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Mission TripFirstMy

17 March 2011 I woke up at five o’clock, filled with excitement.

Today my family and I are going on our first mission

trip to Surabaya. After breakfast, we took a maxi-cab

to the airport. We were happy to see all our friends

from JAMZone at Changi Airport. We prayed for

good weather and protection for our team. And then

we were off!

Soon, we arrived at Junda Airport, Surabaya. We

were even more excited than before! Our first stop

was to an orphanage called Pondok Hayat. All of us

carried the babies and prayed for them. After that,

we had lunch with the teachers, staff and Aunty Yeo’s

family at a nearby restaurant called Prima. The food

tasted delicious! The apartment we were going to

stay is called Puri Darmo. The place was beautiful!

The girls took one apartment on the second floor

while the boys were at the ground floor. We also

had worship time at the boys’ apartment. We sang

like angels in heaven! We had a short session with

Uncle Ng before heading out for Chipmunks, an

indoor playground. The place was bigger than I

thought! All of us helped to take care of the orphans.

Cheyenne, Megan and me took care of a cute girl

called Maria. The place had a very long slide which

was three-storeys high! When I slid down, my skin

got burned!

That night, we had a short debrief, washed up

and lights were out at 11pm. I think today was a

wonderful day.

Singapore, Changi Airport

Junda Airport, Surabaya

Day

1

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Pondok Hayat

Puri Darmo Chipmunks

18 March 2011In the morning when I woke up, I said “Good morning God! What a beautiful day.” Did I tell you that the Loo family didn’t come to Surabaya with us yesterday? Oh well, I will tell you now. In fact they just took off from Singapore as we were eating our breakfast. (I ate cornflakes with milk. Yummy.) After we ate breakfast, we had Quiet Time. We prayed for everyone not to fall sick because one of my friends was having a fever. Aunty Meilyn and JieJie Megan led us in worship. Aunty Monica also told us about today’s plan which started with our worship at the local church located in a mall! After the Service, we took the lift down to have our lunch. How convenient Today we organised the first of three game

carnivals. I saw dark clouds in the sky and I didn’t like that. I prayed to God that He will send wind and blow the dark clouds away. It actually rained a little but it stopped just in time for the carnival. God is good. All the children played the games happily there and I want to praise the Lord! We packed up and headed off happily for our dinner. At the restaurant, we sang Mighty to Save, and the entire restaurant looked at us.

Local Church

Day

2

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Rucola

19 March 2011 In the morning, when I woke up, I said the same

greeting “Good morning! What a beautiful

morning!” I heard the birds singing and I saw

the sunrise. Aunty Monica told us about today’s

programme. Today I was very excited. You want to

know why? I will tell you later.

We had Quiet Time with our mentors. We prayed

that God will take care of us. Quiet Time was one of

the most special times of the whole trip because my

mentor treated me very well. Then Aunty Mei and

Jiejie Megan led us into another wonderful time

of worship and devotion. Aunty Mei taught us to

anoint each other with anointing oil and to pray to

bless one another before we set out for our trip.

We set off for Pelita, a school set up for the slum

kids. Because the place was so small, we only set up

three stalls. The children were all so cute! We played

happily together and had a fun morning.

In the afternoon, we had our third Games Carnival.

This was the most exciting moment of the day. Aunty

Monica and I worked like robots because there were

so many people! We were extremely tired. This was

the biggest crowd we had ever seen. Some were

even locked out because it was too crowded.

Finally, we had our dinner at this cool Italian

restaurant called Rucola. The food was delicious and

it was great fun eating with all my friends.

Pelita

Day

3

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20 March 2011 Ah! I woke up early this morning… the sky was blue

and the birds were again chirping sweetly outside.

But I was feeling a little sad because this was our

last day in Surabaya.After Quiet Time and worship, Uncle Ng came to

give us one final debrief. Then we checked out of our

apartments and headed for the airport.From this trip, I learned to be compassionate, caring

and be helpful to everyone. I hope to go back to

Surabaya again.

Michelle, together with brother Daniel, attends the Children’s Church at JAMZone. Her parents Richard and Vivian serve at the Children’s Church and worships at the 11am Service.

By MICHELLE SOH

Airport

Day

4

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Rachel is an avid swimmer and runner whose basic staple in life besides God is music! She aspires to pursue a career in law as well as to be a mother because kids bring her a beautiful and innocent joy that cannot be explained through words!

By BY RACHEL CHIU

‘GOD IS WILD ABOUT YOU!’ was the favourite phrase throughout PandaMania!, a school holiday special for 5 to 9 year olds, held over the mornings of 14 and 15 March at Faith Methodist Church. This interactive and exciting camp allowed our children to discover more about God and themselves through fun and games, Bible stories as well as song and dance sessions.

Everything was decorated and arranged along a wild jungle and adventure theme! The Jonah game was definitely one unforgettable memory that our kids had of the camp – with the help of props and water sprinklers, they were put through a simulated experience of the biblical story of Jonah – being stuck in the storm and swallowed into the tummy of a big fish, which had them squealing with excitement.

At the games and art and craft sessions, the children were able to make new friends with one another and learn how to work together as a team, especially since they were given roles

to play within their groups which required them to communicate and exercise leadership responsibilities, such as the ‘materials manager’, ‘guide’, ‘prayer person’ and ‘thank you-er’.

All praise to God for blessing us with a smooth and wonderful camp as well as His loving presence throughout the two days! †

ABOUT YOU!WILDGOD IS

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Whazzup!Pandamania 14-03-2011

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Photographers: Rachel Chiu

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Storyland And Phonics FunLaugh Play Learn

Faith brings more laughter and fun to the community starting from February!

Held every last Saturday of the month at Faith Methodist Church, the new Storyland and Phonics Fun programme serves children between the ages of 4 and 6 in the Tanglin Halt and Commonwealth community. Through interactive and activity-based games, stories and songs, the little ones learn to read, sing and find joy in learning.

That Saturday, Faithlink met up with Pearly Sim, Faith’s new Lay Executive Staff (Children) to check out what goes on during the class. With a bright, cheery voice and a cymbal, she invited the 15 children at the class to a brightly decorated carpeted corner for the “morning wake up song”. The children learned songs

Edwin attends the 8am Service and serves at FaithActs. Look out for him seated near the front every Sunday!

By EDWIN kOH

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and listened to stories. Through large and colourful storybooks, the children learned about the importance of family and friends through a bear story, and the value of one lost little sheep that day. It was lively with the little ones asking questions and finishing the stories ahead of the storyteller! Thereafter, we learnt to say the sound of alphabets in a sing-a-long session, singing the vowel sounds and learning new words. And I found my feet tapping to the catching music tune!

Next, we proceeded to our own little tables and had activity-based drawing and writing with volunteer teachers, before having another high adrenalin game where the boys and girls learned about alphabets through a fast-paced alphabet puzzle dash!

Pearly shared on the aim of the programme, “Through meeting the children’s needs we build relationships with the community.” StoryLand and Phonics Fun is one of the several programmes to bless needy children and families in the community through education. Besides language, there are other programmes like maths and science too! So if you know of a child in the Tanglin Halt, Commonwealth or Dover communities who is lonely or who need some help in these areas of learning, bring them on! †

SCIENCE POWERLAB 2011 A two-day workshop where you can explore science concepts through fun and amazing experiments. Suitable for children aged 9 to 11 years old.

Dates : 6 & 7 June 2011 (Monday and Tuesday)Time : 9am – 12.30pmvenue : Faith Methodist Church, Attic Level Fee : $5 (inclusive of handouts and

tea-time snacks)

Please call Pearly at 6471 9430 during office hours or email pearlysim@faithmc.org.sg to register.

FAITH PRIMARY 5 & 6 MATHS ENRICHMENTThe Enrichment Class is open to pupils scoring 60 marks and below (based on last SA2 results). Each class is limited to 30 pupils.

Primary 5Date : Every TuesdayTime : 4.00pm – 5.30pmvenue : Faith Methodist Church,

Training Room, Level 4Fee : FREE

Primary 6Date : Every ThursdayTime : 4.00pm – 5.30pmvenue : Faith Methodist Church,

Training Room, Level 4Fee : FREE

Please contact Pearly at 6471 9430 during office hours or email pearlysim@faithmc.org.sg to register.

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CHILDREN PROGRAMMES AT FAITH:

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18-05-2008StoryLand and Phonics Fun 06-02-2011

Photographers: Pee Lay Hoon

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Children, do you know what Jesus suffered for us? Take up the Crossword Challenge! Look up the references in the Bible (NIV version) and solve the puzzle. If you are stuck, ask your parents for help. When you have finished the puzzle, thank Jesus that He suffered and died for us and that He rose from the dead.

ACROSS1. Peter __________Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75).5. The soldiers twisted together a crown of __________ and

put it on Jesus’ head (Matthew 27:29).6. The Jewish Council that put Jesus on trial (Matthew

26:59).10. The soldiers offered wine mixed with __________ to Jesus

to drink (Matthew 27:34).13. The Roman Governor who questioned Jesus at the palace

(Matthew 27:11-13).14. Jesus was buried in a __________ sealed by a great stone

(Matthew 27:59-60).16. Judas __________ Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:47-49).17. Jesus was crucified on the hill called Golgotha which

means Place of the __________ (Matthew 27:32-33).

DOWN2. Three days after Jesus’ death, there was an __________

(Matthew 28:2).3. The first people who saw Jesus after He was raised from

the dead were __________ (Matthew 28:8-9).4. This prisoner was chosen over Jesus by the crowd to be

released (Matthew 27:15-18, 20).7. Jesus’ disciples __________ Him when He was arrested

(Matthew 26:56)

8. The robbers who were crucified with Jesus __________ Him (Matthew 27:44).

9. Members of the Sanhedrin spat on, punched and ________Jesus (Matthew 26:59, 67)

11. The soldiers spat on Jesus and hit him on his __________ many times (Matthew 27:30).

12. The soldiers stripped Jesus and cast lots for His _________(Matthew 27:35).

15. The soldiers put a staff (in place of a scepter) in Jesus’ right hand, knelt before Him and __________ Him. (Matthew 27:29).

Husband of one and father of two adult sons, Alan is a teacher at SunJam@10, ACJC and the Acting National Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Singapore. He is the author of “Building the Next Generation”, a book on dramatised family devotions for preschoolers and early primaries. He is also the webmaster of a parenting and education website.

By ALAN WONG

The Sufferingsof Jesus

12

16

17

10

9

13

4

1 2

5

6

11

7 8

3

1514

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18-05-2008

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Chinese New Year Celebration at Mandarin Service 华语主日崇拜新年庆祝

06-02-2011

Photography: Jimmy Png

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Indonesian Ministry Christmas Celebration 19-12-2010

Photography: Pee Lay Hoon

Filipino Ministry Christmas Celebration 19-12-2010

Photography: Godiva Ysip

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That magical night on Christmas Eve...where sweet Christmas carols rang out from Tanglin Halt, and a sea of a thousand lights ushered in afresh our Hope and our Peace.

Christmas at Tanglin Halt

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Gabriel is currently a student and freelance photographer. He has been covering various events in Faith Methodist Church, spreading the message about God through his photos.

By GABRIEL CHUA

Christmas at Tanglin Halt

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18-05-2008

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Christmas at Tanglin Halt

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24-12-2010

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Photographers: Gabriel Chua and Daniel Quah

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One Convention

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Relate Better • Live Better

I learnt that no matter what others (or even myself) think about us, we are still precious in God’s eyes.

“”Eleanor

I learnt about being active in my child’s life, sharing our legacy with our children and sharing our mistakes and lessons God has taught us.

“”Phoebe

I am not from this country and very unlikely will not have a chance to return for another convention. But I love the loving spirit of your church family!

“”

Gary

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Whazzup!09-04-2010

Photography: Benson Lim

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From the Singles Track, I learnt that I should enjoy life and that being married may not be the final stage in life for everyone.

“”

I learnt that correcting others is not a spiritual gift and hence I should stop being “judge”/God.

“”

I learnt to appreciate my family and friends and most importantly to honour God.

“”Matthew

Rachelle

May

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18-05-2008

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Theme: “Transforming Lives, Changing The World”Drawing Submissions: 7 to 9 year olds

Faith 45th Anniversary Drawing & Colouring Competition 2011

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09-04-2011

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Colouring Submissions: 3 to 6 year olds

Faith 45th Anniversary Drawing & Colouring Competition 2011 09-04-2011

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中文栏目

淑仪在思珍堂任职，对华文华语热爱有加，觉得华文是一个曼妙且感性的语言。《信鸽》乃是受到主爱的启发。在一次巴士旅途中想着耶稣，被祂奢华的爱充满着心房，执笔写下这份给主的“情书”，望由信鸽代为传递到祂在天上的宝座前。《信鸽》相信也表达了每一位爱主耶稣的弟兄姐妹的由衷心声，望主执我之手，携我到老，百年之后，且与主耶稣面对面共看旭日、共听潮水。

邓淑仪

执袮之手 携我到老

晚霞虽美 无比袮轮廓

轻依袮肩 满载袮爱

心不属我 如何托人

宇宙之阔 袮双手最暖

倾心于袮 拥我入怀吧！

心中之爱 望全系袮

袮且非人 而更胜于人

伟大造者 却近在咫尺

执袮之手 谱生命之曲

携我之手 轻跳爱之旋律

百年之后 且共听潮水

千年之后 且同看旭日

信鸽

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The Classes of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 gathered for a time of food, fun and fellowship! It was great sharing and catching up with each other, not only among the children but the parents too.

Kindy Alumni Gathering

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Kindy Moments

The children showed their love and care as they interacted and sang and presented gifts to the ‘grandpapas’ and ‘grandmamas’ there. Faith Kindergarten raised a sum of $6,448.55 during our Hongbao Project which was presented to St Luke’s during our visit.

A Visit to St Luke’s Eldercare

We flew kites and experienced the feeling of being on the “top of the world”!

To the

Our Field Trip

Marina Barrage

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华人的清明节和基督教节日耶稣受难日往往在每

年的四月不期而遇。两个节日的日期也相近 — 今

年的清明节落在4月5日，而耶稣受难日的日期则

是4月22日。除了日期接近，两者也有另一个共同

点 — 他们都是有关‘死亡’的节日。清明乃是许

多华人纪念祖先和过世亲人的节日，而耶稣受难日

则是基督徒铭记被钉死在十字架上的耶稣基督的日

子。

清明节的起源有关一位古代中国的有名书生，因为

不愿为朝廷效命，导致皇帝下令放火烧山林以逼他

露面，而反遭活活烧死。皇帝悔不当初，为纪念他

而下旨在他的忌日禁火。经年累月的演变，就有了

现代纪念祖先的传统。

另一方面，耶稣受难日则是纪念上帝之子耶稣基督

的牺牲。耶稣经历了背叛、折磨，最后被残忍地钉

死在十字架上，成为代罪羔羊，为着世人赎罪。耶

稣受难日也与犹太人的逾越节日子吻合 — 圣经记

载耶稣受难的前一晚和门徒一起吃逾越节的晚餐。

逾越节起源自圣经的《出埃及记》—上帝带领以色

列人民逃出埃及，不再沦为埃及人的奴隶；祂以十

种灾殃打击埃及人，埃及法老才肯让他的以色列奴

隶离开。其中，最严重的便是击杀全埃及长子和头

生牲畜。上帝吩咐以色列人在他们所住的房屋上以

羔羊的血做记号；当祂一见这血，就越过他们 —

逾越节就此得名。

基督徒相信在埃及的逾越是上帝救赎的预示 — 祂

最终把独生子赐给世人，成为最后的逾越羔羊。

耶稣聚集门徒吃最后的逾越节晚餐后，隔日就被钉

死在十字架上，成为最后的羔羊，为人类的罪做一

个完全且彻底的牺牲。祂为我们死，好让我们不必

为我们的罪而受死。而这一天便称为耶稣受难日；

在英语我们叫这天为“好星期五”，因为这确实是

好消息！

然而，如果耶稣仍然躺在坟墓里，那这一切都是徒

然！因为死亡是大部分人们最大的恐惧！但在第三

天，上帝让耶稣复活，而耶稣复活、战胜死亡的这

天便是我们所认识的耶稣复活节了。耶稣的复活为

我们带来希望，因为死已经不可怕了！耶稣答应我

们说：“我就是复活、我就是生命。凡信我的人，

死后也必然会活。所有活在我里面并且信我的人，

必然永远不死。” （约翰福音11章25至26节）

清明节和耶稣受难日纵然有着“死亡”这个共同

点，但复活节就是两者间的重要区分。对我来说，

既身为华人也是基督徒，在四月的清明节时，我

会到骨灰园献上鲜花来纪念我的先父。这是感恩父

亲给我的一切，也是以充足的信心记得我们有朝一

日将会在天堂再次相见，因为我俩都接受了上帝的

宽恕，相信祂通过耶稣基督在受难日为我们的罪而

死，和在复活节复活为我们战胜了死亡！ †

谈

与 耶稣受难日清明节

邓淑仪 翻译

锦昌是思珍堂的教牧同工，负责宣教事工。他育有一子，并热衷于转播耶稣基督的福音予世人。

蔡锦昌

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树宇生于中国沈阳市，2005年来到了新加坡，并在此结婚并生了女儿馨心。她也在这个岛国遇到了她生命的转折点 – 主耶稣基督。

杨树宇

结婚。怀孕。生女。我们一家人过

着幸福美满的生活。

没想到在2008年2月，医生跟我说

我患了乳癌。

得知我患癌的第二天，我的家婆过

世了。她也是乳癌病患者，是在动

手术五年后病情复发去世的。当时

的我很无助害怕，我女儿才五个多

月，还那么小，如果我有什么事，

她该怎么办？

那时候有一位朋友来看我，身为基

督徒的她就为我祷告。三天后，也

就是在我手术当天，她也来为我祷

告，使我非常的感动，就决定接受

主做我个人的救主、生命的主宰。

认识主耶稣是我一生的转折点，我

经历到主在我生命中的真实。在我

手术后，化疗的这段日子，身体的

疼痛、经济上和种种困难，对我

来说都是很大的压力。在我动手

术后，我先生为了照顾我和孩子，

一直都没有工作。我们又没什么积

蓄，化疗接下来还要电疗，需要一

大笔的钱，该怎办？

这时，有位姐妹发简讯给我，叫我

不要烦恼，把一切都交托给主，求

主给我开路，安慰我说神与我同

在。她说：“主是你最知心的朋

友，有什么事你就尽量向主倾诉，

祂在听你的每一句话。上帝要使用

你做你全家的使者。发光的钻石都

是经过磨炼才发出最耀眼的光芒，

相信上帝，祂会与你同在！”看了

这些话后，我就求告上帝，把一

切都交托在祂的手中，求主来帮助

我。

我在医院认识了小静。她也是乳癌

患者，而我们两人的手术期只相差

一天，手术和化疗医生竟也是同

一人。通过小静我认识了思珍堂的

李昭娥，并在她们的带领下来到

教会。世事就是那么的奇妙，这时

候，上帝又安排了几位安娣轮流带

我的女儿去她们家中照顾，还有

几位姐妹陪伴我去医院作化疗，好

让我的先生可以安心的去工作。医

院的医药费这时也可以用分期付款

缴付。我知道，这些都是上帝的安

排，上帝一直都与我同在。

今年7月，我和先生租了一个咖啡

店的摊位做生意，因为租金高和一

些别的原因，我们做了五个多月

就觉得做不下去，打算不做了。

这时候，团契小组的一位姐妹来

电说要介绍工作给我，我就告诉她

现在正跟咖啡店老板商量减租金的

事项;他的态度很坚持，不肯减租

金。这位姐妹听后，信心满满的对

我说：“我看不用把电话号码给你

了，我会发信息给小组的姐妹们，

大家会一起为你祷告，让圣灵去感

动咖啡店的老板。他一定会减租金

的，你们会继续做下去的，一定可

以的。”

是的，感谢主，现在我们又可以继

续做下去了！

主啊！我知道祢是一位听祷告的

主，祢是一位疼爱和看顾我们的

主。感谢祢，感谢祢派这些美丽天

使来帮助我。感谢祢先来爱我，感

谢祢拣选了我。主啊！除了祢，我

还可以信靠谁？藉着这次的苦难，

使我更亲近上帝，更信靠祂，更真

切地经历神的同在。是的，主的恩

典够我用，我愿一生跟随主。求主

祢大大的使用我，我也要做美丽的

天使，广传福音，颂赞主名，要更

多的人可以进入主祢的国。求主祢

来掏造我，使我可以越来越像主。

感谢、赞美主，愿一切荣耀归于

主，阿门。 †

的

中文栏目

67Faithlink

bluelittle

On 11 November 2008, when our second child Noelle was born, Alice and my lives took an abrupt turn.

Alice had done all her prenatal checks and tests, all of which produced normal results. Since we already have a son Josh, we were eagerly expecting the arrival of a little princess to complete our family.

After baby Noelle was delivered, the pediatrician came, checked on her and ordered a detailed heart scan for Noelle after seeing that she was ‘a little blue’ in her face, and her heartbeats sounded abnormal. The cardiologist who did the scan confirmed the pediatrician’s suspicions. That experience, and what was to follow, was shocking and went far beyond our imagination. It pained us a great deal to see our newborn connected to tubes and other medical devices, but we could not do anything much to lessen her fears and pain. Noelle could not be pacified, and was crying so much as she had to undergo so many tests and examinations to assist in the diagnosis of her condition. She looked so fragile and pitiable, with her weak cries and screams. The needles that pricked her pained our hearts too.

We could not even carry her much and had to leave her at the special care unit at the hospital every evening, not knowing if we could see

a parent’s painful journey with a baby born with a life-threatening condition

SHE was a

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her again the next day. The specialists painted such an unpredictable and grim picture of her condition. Her condition is so severe that she may not live through the first two years of her life. She also had other common newborn complications like reflux and lung problems, which now added more burdens to her serious health condition. Noelle was delivered at 3.5kg but she lost so much weight in her first two months, she weighed only 2.5kg thereafter. We were at a loss, and sought the opinions of cardiologists from private hospitals and they all echoed the same opinions. There is no known treatment for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HOCM), a genetic disease, which is seldom present at birth. It is a disease of the myocardium (the muscle of the heart) in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied (thickened) without any obvious cause. It is known as a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in youths and young adults. And the only option then was to scrap off some of the muscles through open-heart surgery, but the risks involved are very high for a newborn. The daily visits to the hospital were emotionally and mentally draining, seeing all that was happening in the special care ward, not just to Noelle but also

Nuggets of Thanksgiving

many other infants and young children as well as their parents and loved ones who were pressing on. Alice was not coping too well with the pain and stress, succumbing to sudden bursts of tears and emotional breakdowns. This episode affected Josh greatly too. He was but a three year-old boy, and there was only so much that he could understand. He needed our attention and love, and our sudden and frequent long absences from home in those two months caused him to feel neglected and insecure, even though we had shared with him about

his baby sister’s condition. He threw tantrums and had crying fits at the kindergarten, and even when he was with the family.

As the head of the family, I had to hold it altogether and put up a strong front. There came a night when I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, seeing all that was happening, a cross that was too hard for me to bear. I woke up in tears and prayed to the Holy God, asking for His divine intervention. The coming Sunday, I brought Alice along to Faith Methodist Church, at the invitation of my friends. “At the sanctuary, we felt so much pain and sadness, and I cried out to the Lord,” said Alice. At the end of the Service, Pastor Shih Ming prayed for baby Noelle and our friends. We started joining the worship Services weekly and Alice tears up at almost every session. She shared, “It was like a release for me to cry out and pray in His presence, knowing that He cares and listens.”

The River of Life PCM leaders and members visited and prayed for Noelle at the hospital, and also at our home. Their support and concern was greatly appreciated by Alice and I. We received Christ as our Lord and Saviour and started to join the group on

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a regular basis, to study God’s Word. We also got to know the rest of them, and sharing with another group member about similar problems was a healing experience, helping us to see things in a different light. Though everyone is so busy, it is good that special efforts are made to meet on a regular basis and pray for each other. We appreciate their prayers for our family. About two months after Noelle was admitted into KKH, she was discharged for homecare on oxygen support, medication and feeding tube. Caring for her at home was an exceptionally challenging task. She was throwing up so much that she was returned to KKH barely five days after for bronchitis. Noelle then had another three episodes of bronchitis in the next few months. Her weight gain was poor. Alice and our helper struggled in caring for Noelle as the challenge was now more than doubled compared to that for a healthy newborn. We also needed to change the feeding tube weekly, which was also a very painful and draining experience initially, seeing the look of pain on her face when we had to hold her down and insert the feeding tube through her nose. Noelle has been tube fed since she was too weak to suckle for milk through her mouth. The tube helps to deliver milk feeds directly into her tummy.

Simon and his family attend the 10am Service and River of Life PCM group. Being a graphic designer, he serves in the International Ministry as well as other ministries with his design skills.

By SIMON YEO

We are thankful to God for He has arranged many people to help us during this trying period. Not only do they offer kind words, prayers and gifts, they also offered help; we have a cousin, a qualified nurse who lives nearby, and she drops by every weekend to change Noelle’s feeding tube till we are comfortable to do it ourselves. Josh’s grandparents and aunt were helpful in caring for him. And the cardiac doctors and nurses at KKH who attended to Noelle were helpful, kind and caring. We are also grateful for our pastors, our parish leader, Godiva and Esther who visited us to pray for our family. Another four months on, we took the first step of obedience to God and received baptism at Faith as a family with our children. It was a huge blessing that we could do so as a family. In our darkest moments, we felt His grace, love and mercy. He is faithful and patient with us. We are glad that we have now made a commitment to Him. It gives us great joy just as we know that His Name is glorified. Josh joins the Sun JAM children sessions and is now back to his cheerful self. Noelle turned two years old in November 2010 and her recent medical review reflected that although her condition remains, she is now fairly stable. She is growing day-by-day and learning to walk and talk. Her growth rate is slower than other children but we as her parents are more than grateful. God’s grace is exemplified in Noelle, and we are more than thankful for every day that we have with her. There is a strong feeling of gratitude that things could have been otherwise, all the more so with Noelle. We leave her safely in His hands, knowing that He has good plans for her and that He loves her even more than we do.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2, NIV †

In our darkest moments, we felt His

grace, love and mercy. He is faithful and

patient with us. We are glad

that we have now made a

commitment to Him.

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“你们的负责人不辞劳苦、亲自登门、沿家挨户寻找需要帮助的乐龄人

士，给于身体锻炼、活动筋骨、减少病痛，功德无量！”张振伋先生

说。张先生是大牌112联邦弯的居民，和太太一起参加由位于大牌76联邦

通道的惠爱社区服务中心所举办的WOW锻炼班。

“WOW”，是“我们有价值”的英文名字缩写，是惠爱乐龄翼给邻里居

民所带来的服务，旨在提倡老年人积极和健康的生活方式。“张先生告

诉我他的健康不太好，所以我们就鼓励他来参加这个由惠爱举办的WOW锻炼班，”思珍堂的义工邓国盛说道。“他来参加后非常高兴而且也认

识了一些新朋友。我们的义工轮流地载张先生来这儿做运动，”国盛补

充道。“我们也在上课期间来探望他。”

WOW锻炼班的目的是要提高乐龄人士对安全和明智的运动方式的意识。

运动包括针对柔韧度、耐力、体力和平衡各方面的练习。上第一堂课

时，学员需要经过运动前的健康检查，包括身体检验和问卷调查、基本

安全意识的介绍、测试心率等等。在最后一堂课，学员则会作课后评估。

每堂运动课后，张先生都和其他学员轻松地一起坐下来玩游戏，进餐和

唱一些旧歌，不亦乐乎！

“义工们深切问候，消除老者的孤寂,”已完成了十周运动课程的张先生

笑颜逐开地说。“［他们］敬老的心态表露无遗，给世间增添几许温情

与关爱。” †

欲知更多详情，请联络：

惠爱乐龄节目策划员

林佩婷

电邮: sandrawoo@faithacts.org.sg

电话: 6479 1509蓝福来 翻译

玫瑰参加思珍堂上午11时的主日崇拜，也领导“Candles” 团契小组的年轻专业人士。空余时候，她热爱划龙舟和独木舟。

邱玫瑰

中文栏目

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A fortnight after my mother-in-law’s passing on, I plunged into depression. I was crying for little or no reason and sweating over small stuff with my family. It was not that I could not accept her passing on, but losing her was losing someone precious. She brought peace and calm to me every time I was with her.

I sought the Lord and asked Him why. I could not understand my own reaction to mother-in-law’s passing. I know that there are others who love me. My husband loves me a lot and is very gentle and understanding, and I am so blessed with my four sons. So there was no reason for me to descend into the depths of the valley.

In my search for answers, I found that whenever the bank balance went down, my feelings would go down with it and I would go on a vicious cycle of worrying, fretting and blaming people around me.

But not myself, of course.

Then, I would go on bouts of intense self-criticism – “Why am I always so emotional?!” I became an “emu”, not making sense and allowing my emotions to cloud and fog my vision. And my life, even my work, would come almost to a standstill.

As I dwelt on my emotions and problems, they became so big and would overwhelm me to the point when I was taunted by thoughts of suicide. When I got to this point, I would become scared and tell myself, “This is crazy! I’m doing OK! I have four lovely boys, a husband who loves me and leaves me free to manage things on my own, a job, nice colleagues...then why do I feel this way?”

As I continued seeking God, I got my answers.

I realised that my focus was on my problems and

Again!

Why Me?Why Me?

Why Me?

Why MeDepression

?

Why Me?

Why Me?

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my security was on worldly things. Money and possessions were my anchor. I trusted in the need for an ever-increasing bank balance and ownership of a house. For example, we had just sold our house last year and we found out that if we had done so this year it could have been sold for a quarter of a million dollars more! So I asked God, “Why didn’t You let me have this opportunity? I could have been a millionaire!” Then I realised that I had put my hope and my security on these possessions. Hence, my world crumbled when my possessions started crumbling – lower bank balances; failed investments; no more house (we are now renting a place because we could not find something affordable); not earning the kind of money that I had anticipated, when it seemed that everyone was making tons of money in this economic recovery.

I lost my focus on God.

But God comforted me with His Word in Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV): “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

As a familiar hymn says: Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in his wonderful faceAnd the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of his glory and grace

So, as I move into the year 2011, my prayer to God is:Help me put my focus and security in YouBecause You are my fortress, my Rock indeedYour love will be my foundation.Set me free from all that holds me and draws me away from YouRestore in me the wholeness that is in Christ JesusThat I may break forth into joy, trusting You in all circumstances,Leaning not on my own understanding.In my storms, may I continue to rest in the knowledge That You are my Sovereign God, Immanuel.That I may be like the eagle in Isaiah 40:31“They that wait upon the LordShall renew their strength,They shall mount up their wings like eagles.They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.”

As I journeyed through my low periods, two books have helped me and if you are going through the emotional valleys at this moment, I pray that they will help you too.

• “A Woman’s Guide to Overcoming Depression” by Archibald Hart and Catherine Hart Weber

• “Prayers for Emotional Wellness” by Stormie Omartian

Teach us, Lord, to wait upon You. †

Marge attends the 11am Service with her husband Vincent Chew. They have four sons Hewlett, Hewbert, Herbert and Hewett. She is part of a cheerful, bubbly PCM group named “Alps 1” and serves in the Family LIfe Ministry. She currently works as a property agent and loves to read in her leisure time.

By MARGARET LIM

As a familiar hymn says: Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in his wonderful faceAnd the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of his glory and grace

The Case For FaithThe Case For Faith

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In life, there are five realities that we need to address simultaneously. These are: our Existence, the reality of Physical Constants, our desire for Relationships, our Sense of Morality, and the Uniqueness of Individuals.

Why i believe

God of Easterin the

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The Case For Faith

Our ExistenceWe have three choices when it comes to addressing the issue of our existence: We can choose to believe in (i) a self-existing universe; (ii) a self-existing Creator God or lastly, (iii) self-existing multiple gods.

The unbelieving world has largely latched onto the evolution theory and uses it to say that believing in a god is no longer necessary. Simply put, this philosophical strand says: A self-existing particle became a simple organism, which developed complex characteristics and eventually formed humans — creatures who ultimately projected an ideal of a god to fulfill their needs. Is this possible?

Our Desire for RelationshipsTo treat the abovementioned framework as credible, one has to embrace the theory of the existence of a self-existing particle which can reproduce itself repeatedly to become a more complex organism. This process is said to have taken a timescale of billions of years. A self-replicating particle which is non-relational has now become complex and desires relationships with other such particles. How does non-relational matter become organisms that relate with each other? How does one explain the desire to be loved and the desire to love if the universe started on its own as dense matter? It is perhaps more realistic, and meaningful, to assert that a relational God started the universe albeit as dense matter as physics would have us believe.

Reality of Physical ConstantsAnother challenge is that of the environment. Life cannot exist on its own. We can survive on this planet because there is oxygen, and there is gravity. If gravitational force even changes an iota, we cease to exist. Thus, not only must there be randomness in the evolutionary process from particles to complex organisms, the universe itself must be able to change with the same degree of randomness over billions of years. In other words, you need many billions of universes to exist in order to conduct a sucessful trial and error process to achieve the outcome of one single universe that can sustain life and sustain it in a way that enables evolution to take place.

Some parts of the evolution theory have substantial evidence to support it. Other parts do not. But the point is, evolution still needs God to sustain it. Even

The Case For Faith

an eminent atheist scientist tells us that something alien must have introduced the seed of life into the world.

Uniqueness of IndividualsWhy is every thumb print and eye unique to the point that we can do biometric identification of individual persons? Why would a self-existing universe which started as lifeless matter develop into a world with such a high level of individuality and uniqueness? Can it not speak of a God who values us so much and considers each one so unique to Him that He has accorded us individuality?

The Testimony of MoralityMorals do shift. But the question arises as to why there is morality in the first place. If we consult encyclopedias on the topic of ethics, the overall similarity of what they say constitutes good behaviour is remarkably consistent. Why do we celebrate those who sacrifice themselves for the greater good of others? Why do we not instead celebrate those who steal? After all, they are probably evolutionarily smarter and thus able to con the dumber members of the gene pool. It seems to me that there is a moral compass in all of us, the desire to still see some goodness in life.

The invitation in this article is simple. Which is more likely? Can you put forward a concept of life that can answer the realities of relationships, existence, morality, physical constants simultaneously better than the Christian proposition of God? You may be able to provide a viable alternative on each point but taken as a whole, since the realities co-exist at any one point in time, does your current perception of life fit all of these facets? Or would you consider the possibility that the God of Easter could be the true reality? †

Liang Wei is a trained medical doctor and attends the 11am Service whenever he is in Singapore.

By NG LIANG WEI

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Causation of evilThough evil is real, it is not a created thing. It does not exist by itself. For example, a donut hole is real but it does not exist by itself. You cannot separate the donut hole from the donut; the hole is merely the absence of dough in a donut. Likewise, darkness does not exist by itself; it is the absence of light. Similarly, evil does not exist apart from good; evil is the absence or corruption of something good.

the

andBeginningEndof evil

The problem of evil is real. The issues are:

(1) If God is all-good, why did He create such a painful world?

(2) If God is all-powerful, why does He not do something about the pain and suffering?

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But He was pierced for OUR transgressions, He was crushed for OUR iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity OF US ALL. (Isaiah 53:4-6, NIV)

Jesus’ crucifixion (His pain, suffering and death on the cross) was the solution for the pain, suffering and death in the world. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered death. He can break the power of sin and transform our lives by changing our desires – as His Spirit lives in us, instead of wanting to do evil, we will want to do good.

God’s promise is that evil will eventually be destroyed. He will right every wrong, put away evil once and for all and create a new heaven and new earth.

Is there pain in your heart? Evil is the absence of good. Do you want to fill that void with good? God is extending His hands to you. Are you willing to put your trust in the all-powerful and all-good God? †

Husband of one and father of two adult sons, Alan is a teacher at SunJam@10, ACJC and the Acting National Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Singapore. He is the author of “Building the Next Generation”, a book on dramatised family devotions for preschoolers and early primaries. He is also the webmaster of a parenting and education website.

By ALAN WONG

The Case For Faith

Is there pain in your heart? Evil is the absence of good. Do you want to fill that void with good? God is extending His hands to you.

God created everything good. When He created man, God also created man with the freedom of choice, the ability to obey or disobey Him. God told man what to do and what not to do but man corrupted himself by choosing to disobey God (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-7). From the moment of man’s rebellion against God, evil entered the world and its effects (pain and suffering) have touched all mankind. Man’s corrupted nature is the cause of much evil.

“What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23, NIV)

Man’s sin also brought about a curse on the ground and all

creation is subjected to corruption and decay. The world as it is – filled with natural disasters – is not its original state at Creation.

God did not create a painful world; pain, suffering and death are the consequences of man’s sin (James 1:13-17). Man’s rebellion against God explains man’s corrupted nature and the evil acts of men. A fallen creation explains disasters.

Cessation of evilHowever, God did not abandon man and creation to eternally suffer the consequences of sin. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to become a man so that He could pay the penalty for our sins. He is our substitute.

“Surely He took up OUR pain and bore OUR suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.

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The late Michael Jackson once declared, “It doesn’t matter if you are black or white!” While the song was rather ambiguous in its intended message, it is obvious that black and white are mutually exclusive.

While we cannot paint our world in broad strokes of black and white, because there are plenty that we have yet to understand, it is becoming more difficult to distinguish between the black and white of human behaviour and decisions.

When my son was five years old, he sincerely declared “I will never lie” and that was true, literally. He was an honest beaver who demanded that everything be true as fact. When I began to notice little half-truths creeping into his speech and conduct, I quizzed him on that proclamation, and there was an almost rueful smile on his face as he searched for an appropriate response. I could feel the tension of that moment when knowledge was gained and innocence lost...

According to the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve experienced the same tension. To eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...or not? Once eaten, the world was no longer black or white. Whose crime was that? It depends. According to Adam, it was the woman and possibly God, because God gave her to him. According to Eve, it was the serpent.

The world had turned grey.

We have grown accustomed to this grey world in which we live in. We have a term called “politically correctness” to make us feel better. We have tolerance in the name of peace. We have “ceasefires” when wars have not really ended. We have a truce, even when both sides are still in bitter disagreement. Contracts have walk-out clauses. “Legally-binding” agreements can be disputed on “technicalities”. We live in a grey world.

But as I read the sagas of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I discovered a Bible that is pointedly clear about who is right and who is wrong. It is evident that there was not a single worthy man in the Bible and that it is just about a group of men and women who stumbled and fumbled their way into a faith and a covenant with a faithful and loving God – until Jesus came into the story. Even then, it was clearly stated that Jesus was not a mere man, but the Son of God! How much clearer can it get?

I believe in Miracles and a Miracle had happened that

Blackor

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ite

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night in Bethlehem. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NIV) Jesus, born of a virgin, fulfilled that. You either believe it or you do not.

And true to nature, Jesus was a sore thumb in the world of grey. His words of truth upset the establishment and his lifestyle was simply scandalous to the religious practitioners of the era. Barely into the fourth chapter of Luke, the people were planning to throw him off the cliff!

Jesus did not care for political correctness. He declares “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “(John 14:6, NIV) Jesus is not interested in half-heartedness. He reminded his disciples that anyone who put his hands on the plow and looked back is not fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62) And neither is Jesus interested in cheap victories. He would not settle for Satan’s offer of all the world’s power and wealth (Luke 4:5) because He came to settle the score of humanity’s sins once and for all.

Jesus is either who He claimed to be, or a madman who believed he was telling the truth. Because no liar would ever die for his lies. Especially when he was offered so many get-out clauses on the way to the Cross. Jesus said He came to seek, to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. And He did.

When he told the dying thief “Surely, you will be with me in Paradise”, there is little doubt what he meant. That man, condemned by the world, has found redemption through Jesus Christ. Like Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. Like myself.

I believe in Miracles and another Miracle had happened that morning at Calvary. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. (1 Corinthians 15:6)

So if you are thinking about your salvation, it definitely matters if it is black or white! You are either saved. Or you are not. †

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Richard attends the 11am Service with wife Vivian and children Daniel and Michelle. He does his discipleship training with the Heritage PCM group.

By RICHARD SOH

1 Life 4:1life’s little adventures

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Doc’s In

I notice an ant in my toilet bowl one day. Is that a warning that sugar is present in my urine and I have diabetes?

This is testament to the durability of government-sponsored advertising and public health education campaigns. I still remember the Ministry of Health poster

with a line of ants marching to the toilet and the message advising early medical attention should the ants call on you. For the benefit of readers who are scratching their heads, only those who had visited government polyclinics in the 1970s would make sense of any of the above.

Diabetes is a condition in which the body loses its ability to control sugar levels in the blood stream. This results in very high blood sugar levels and subsequently sugar in the urine, a condition known as glycosuria. Diabetes is also associated with other symptoms such as lethargy, poor wound healing and fainting spells. To determine if you have diabetes, a glucose tolerance test may be performed. This is where the doctor has you drink a sugar solution and takes blood at timed intervals to determine how your body is handling the sugar load. If you have concerns that you might be suffering from diabetes, your best bet is to clarify these concerns with your doctor and not to trust ants. How smart can they be? They eat in toilet bowls!

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Q

I have a persistent dull ache from the waist downwards. Has it anything to do with the kidneys?

Most likely not. Dull aches in the lower body are more likely to derive from musculoskeletal causes that have to do with the muscles, bones and joints in the

lower back. Kidney stones can cause sharp pains that shoot down from the upper back into the groin area. Kidney infections are associated with fever, feeling sick and pain in the upper back. Bladder infections, on the other hand, come with painful urination, fever and pain in the lower abdomen. If you have any of the above symptoms or notice blood in your urine, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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Can diabetes be kept under control with diligent exercise and careful intake of food, without the aid of medication?

Type II diabetes, the more common form of diabetes that develops in adulthood and is associated with obesity, can be controlled A

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with a regimen of exercise and a healthy diet. Having said this, I have to qualify my answer with a caveat. Mild Type II diabetes can be managed, and sugar levels can be controlled with exercise (which helps your body absorb sugar and lower your blood sugar levels), and a healthy diet (which helps to ensure that the body does not get a lot of sugar all at once). If the diabetes is of high severity, controlling your diet alone will not be enough to help you achieve healthy blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar levels are uncontrolled and at high levels for long periods of time, they eventually damage organs such as the kidneys, eyes and nerves. Finally, if you think you might be diabetic, see a doctor early to get yourself tested. If you are found to have mild diabetes, get started on a regular exercise programme and plan your meals with the help of a dietitian. It is easy – the Ministry of Health has made sure that all of these services are available at your neighbourhood polyclinic.

Doc’s In is a forum in which informal conversations that revolve around health-related issues are published. Please consider everything you read here a friendly, informed opinion by a modern day colleague of Luke. There is no substitute for a proper consultation, examination and organised treatment by a medical or healthcare professional. If you have a medical or health-related question, please email us at faithlink@faithmc.org.sg.

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Q A&

Lately, there has been a bout of chicken pox amongst some children and even adults in the church. The good doctor shares some timely medical information about this common condition to allay the concern of parents and help others understand the facts and myths.

Chicken Pox: The Facts

What is Chicken Pox?• Chicken Pox or varicella is a contagious condition

caused by the varicella zoster virus.• It is a highly contagious condition and 60 to 90 per

cent of individuals who do not have immunity will have chicken pox if exposed to the virus.

• After an individual is exposed to the varicella virus, they may continue to feel well and be without any symptoms for 10 to 20 days but most usually for about two weeks. This is the incubation period during which the virus is multiplying in the body and there are no obvious signs of chicken pox.

• An individual with chicken pox is infectious (can infect others) from two days before the rash appears till just after the blisters dry up and crust over.

How is Chicken Pox spread?• The virus is spread by breathing in infected

respiratory droplets from infectious individuals when they cough or sneeze.

• The virus can also be spread by close contact, being in close physical proximity to an infectious individual (someone with chicken pox who can infect others).

How will I feel if I have Chicken Pox?• If you get sick with Chicken Pox, you can expect

to run a fever, feel tired and “washed out” and develop a rash that starts out as itchy red spots, turns into a small blister and then crusts over and disappears.

• Adults who get Chicken Pox will feel much more sick and have a longer overall course than children who have Chicken Pox. Children usually feel like they have the flu and run a fever for a day or two and are usually completely well with the dried crusted rash disappearing in seven to ten days. Adults who have chicken pox will tend to have a rash that is itchier, blisters and sores that are more painful and feel weak and sick for about seven days with a course that runs almost two weeks.

How should Chicken Pox be treated and cared for?• Chicken Pox is a self-limiting condition. This means

that almost everybody with Chicken Pox recovers

without medication or special treatment.• Caring for someone with Chicken Pox is simple.

Panadol and anti-pyretics (anti-fever medicines) for fever, calamine lotion or oatmeal soap for itchy skin and ensuring comfort and cleanliness till the condition runs its course.

• Zovirax or similar antiviral medications may help to shorten the overall length of the condition. Your neighbourhood healthcare provider would be able to give you more information and decide if this is right for you or your loved one.

I have had Chicken Pox as a child / I have been vaccinated for Chicken Pox, do I have immunity?• Immunity to the varicella zoster virus is usually

lifelong. This explains why most people only get Chicken Pox once in their life.

• Young children are less likely to get Chicken Pox as many of them receive a vaccination for the varicella zoster as part of their childhood immunisation programme. Check with your child’s pediatrician or family doctor if you are unsure if your child has been vaccinated for varicella zoster.

• Some individuals get attacked by varicella zoster again in later life, and this will manifest as a painful skin condition called Shingles, traditionally known in Chinese as 生蛇.

Personal Observation from Dr JoeWhen I was practising in the United States, I noticed that it was common for mothers to encourage their children to continue playing with a playmate that had come down with Chicken Pox. These children would invariably come down with the pox themselves, be down for a day or two with a runny nose, run a bit of a fever and be up and about again in no time at all. Their mothers know that their children had acquired immunity the “natural” way, protected for life. This practice was interesting to me particularly since I remembered very clearly my own mother’s strict admonishments to STAY AWAY from playmates

(continued on pg 83)

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This column provides answers to any of your queries on beauty, skin and body care. Send your questions to us at Faithlink@faithmc.org.sg. Hear out the views and initial assessments by our columnist, but remember to seek further professional advice if necessary! Ultimately, God looks at the beauty of our hearts, not just external beauty!

Does applying oil such as rose hip oil on the face lead to clogging of pores?

When this happens, it is advisable to change to a water-based product for a period of time before using the oil-based product again.

The oil extracted from different parts of plants are used by cosmetologists in their preparation of skincare products.

One important reason for using plant extracts in skincare products is that every plant has a variety of functions that provides multiple benefits for the skin. Moreover, plants are natural and most plants (if used correctly) have very little side effects. Indeed, plants are a gift from God!

Rose hip oil is extracted from the seeds of a plant called Rosa Rubiginosa. It contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and essential fatty acids (Vitamin F) which are involved in cellular membrane and tissue regeneration. Rose hip oil is frequently used for anti-ageing purposes as it helps reduce lines and wrinkles as well as scarring.

Oil extracted from plants usually energises the skin and makes it soft. You may also be familiar with wheat germ oil, rice oil, cotton seed oil and sunflower oil, all of which are usually used for anti-ageing and skin-restoration purposes. However, the quality of the final product depends on a number of factors: the choice of plant, the quality of the solvent to extract the oil, the technology involved in getting all the different molecules of “nutrients” from the plant, the combination of other ingredients, and even the packaging to preserve the product.

Certain parts of our skin are very delicate, especially the eye contours. If the skin does not have a good moisture balance, excess use of oil products may cause the skin to be clogged.

There are indeed many different types of treatments at the marketplace, and fanciful treatment names can confuse consumers. When choosing the

treatment for your skin, ensure that the beauty salon has a professional who can understand your skin before you start any treatment, and a team of reliable staff who can follow through after the treatment.

A referral is still the best way to find a suitable beauty salon. If your friends tell you that a particular salon is good, you can go and find out more. Before approaching any salon you should be honest with yourself regarding your own skin condition. During the consultation you should judge whether the consultant is telling you the truth, and whether her advice sounds sensible. It is important to set a realistic expectation on your skin’s progress because skin cells need time to regenerate, depending on your age and other external factors.

Consumers need to be wise in choosing treatments too. For example, a 25-year-old lady does not need to use Radio Frequency in a facial treatment, even though it sounds very effective. Going for an unnecessary treatment not only

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There are many beauty salons offering different types of facial treatments. How can I decide if any treatment is good or suitable for me?

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Beauty Fix

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Shirley has been working in the beauty care industry since 1994. She received Christ at age 18 in Hong Kong, and her family (husband and two children) are members of Heritage PCM group. Her desire is to lead a balanced and abundant life. She is amazed at how skin reacts and heals, affirming that God is indeed a most wonderful Creator.

By SHIRLEY MOk

wastes money, but it may also cause damage to your skin.

Therefore, my advice is:

1) Know your skin condition.2) Know your own needs (for example, to improve the skin’s texture, to lighten the skin tone, to improve the skin’s firmness)3) Approach the salon you feel comfortable with and find trustworthy4) Attend the consultation and decide whether the treatment suggested matches your needs5) Do not be tempted by unrealistic promises6) Do go for a trial treatment before signing up for any treatment package7) Attend treatments on schedule to obtain optimum results.

Finally, a good salon should be sincere, and it should not give different advice every time you visit.

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who had Chicken Pox and playmates who were whisked away to solitary confinement at home till they were well. This cultural difference explained why most of my Singaporean classmates in medical school got sick with Chicken Pox when taking care of sick children and none of my American classmates ever did!

Joseph is Consultant Gynecologist at the National University Hospital. He enjoys delivering babies for a living and when he is not doing that he can usually be found hanging out with his daughters Vanessa and Clarissa. Joseph is also one of the editors for Faithlink.

By DR JOSEPH NG

Medicine is a constantly changing science and not all therapies are clearly established. New research changes drug and treatment therapies daily. The authors, editors, and publisher of Doc’s In have used their best efforts to provide information that is up-to-date and accurate and is generally accepted within medical standards at the time of publication. However, as medical science is constantly changing and human error is always possible, the authors, editors, and publisher or any other party involved with the publication of this article do not warrant the information in this article as accurate or complete, nor are they responsible for omissions or errors in the article or for the results of using this information. The reader should confirm the information in this article from other sources prior to use. In particular, all drug doses, indications, and contraindications should be confirmed in the package insert.

The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.

(continued from pg 81)Doc’s In

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SEE2020you in

!The Passion Play in oberammergau

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1 Life 4:1round the world

Solo travel has been frowned upon by many, but it can be a most therapeutic journey. With no one to share the joys and woes of travel with, the undistracted solo traveller can find herself in constant communion with the Lord, depending on His guidance, protection and most importantly, companionship.

I chanced upon the “Oberammer-gau Passion Play” on a web site. Just learning of a Passion Play in some never-heard-before Ger-man little village piqued my curi-osity, but the story surrounding the Play clichéd the deal.

Have you heard of a play that is staged once every ten years? Or one that has been going on since the 1600s? Do you know of a performance which only native villagers could participate in?

If you have, it is likely the Oberammergau Passion Play.

In the middle of a bubonic plague in 1633, the inhabitants of a small village called Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany, prayed to God to spare them from the

plague that was ravaging the region. In return, they vowed that they would perform a play depicting the suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, essentially the story of Good Friday and Easter, every ten years. From a death rate of 20 in March 1633, the fatality fell to one in July 1633. The villagers fulfilled their vow to stage the first Passion Play in 1634, at the cemetery above the graves of the plague victims. Since then, the tradition continues every ten years till now. The year 2010 saw the staging of the 41st Oberammergau Passion Play, involving over 2,000 performers, musicians and stage crew who were all residents of the village.

With this awesome resume and a sense of adventure and desire for some peace and quiet, I visited Oberammergau for three days on my own.

Just the journey from Munich to the little alpine village took lots of faith. The English voiceovers on the German trains stopped when I changed to intra-regional rail, and all of a sudden, I was sitting alone

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in a train moving away from Munich into the countryside and hearing voiceovers entirely in German with no idea where to alight. After some two to three hours of quiet anxiety, I reached the cosy and quaint village of Oberammergau, nestled amongst the towering alpine peaks. It was beautiful.

I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast which was also a residence. The village itself was a marvel. With a long history of woodcarving, it is home to woodcarver shops selling wood-carved toys, religious artifacts and just about all kinds of big and small souvenirs. But what was truly charming about Oberammergau was the frescoes found on almost every home and building in the village which gave the landscape an almost exclusively romantic beauty. The lovely frescoes depicted a variety of biblical, fairy tale or traditional Bavarian scenes.

The Passion Play started each day at 2.30pm, had an interval, and ended at 10.30pm every day, from May to October 2010. It was hard to imagine how the villagers coped with the schedule – with your average postman playing a priest or a typical woodcarver acting as one of Jesus’ disciples, one expects that they would have to quit their job to be able to do the performance every day. The Play comprised narration, song, dialogue,

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1 Life 4:1round the world

True to her role as Communications Manager at Faith Methodist Church, Noelle loves ideas, designs and all things beautiful. She is always game for a good debate and an intellectual conversation, but never for romantic pursuits like literature and poetry.

By NOELLE TANG

musical accompaniment and tableaux vivants, which are scenes from the Old Testament staged by motionless actors.

The Play started with a scene of Jesus entering Jerusalem, and continued till his death on the cross and finally His resurrection. The script allowed for creative dramatisations and expressions, yet stayed true to the biblical account. The scriptwriters made it a point to ensure that the speech of Jesus was taken from the Bible itself.

For me, the person of Jesus came alive through the Play in ‘3D’ form. Seeing the re-enactment of the scenes helped me understand the environmental context of Jesus’ life story much better, albeit with caution that this was still a dramatised production.

I am glad I went. Come 2020, I will be back. †

Passionplay Oberammergau 2010 / Photo: Brigitte Maria Mayer

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Graham Kendrick – Do Something BeautifulWhile listening to this album, I had more moments than I could count when I would flip to the lyrics and think to myself, “Haven’t I heard this before?” Then I would tell myself, “Why of course, it is in the Bible!”

Almost every song could be referenced to a passage in the Bible. It almost feels as if the Bible is being sung out. Perhaps if the music in the book of Psalms could be replicated, this would be it! The music is light, mostly following hymns, with contemporary music that is generally acoustic, giving the album a personal and warm feel to it. For the younger generation (like me), the tempo is a bit slow and takes a bit of getting used to at the start. Nonetheless, it is a good album to listen to once in a while and perhaps you would be challenged to find the verses which inspired each song!

Rating:

Steven Sim – We Give to YouClose your eyes and imagine you are having dinner while a live band sings each track on this album. The mood is laid back and you are enjoying the strong vocals that fill the room. At the end of each song, the crowd claps in appreciation. I cannot resist the comparison of this album with bands and performers that we would normally see in hotels, bars and alfresco dining. This is a chill-out production, which would have been better if it were a live performance rather than a CD. The voices on this album are rich enough for such a setting. The same can be said of the musical accompaniment which would have been better on stage. Nevertheless, the album has been done well and worth listening to! Oh, by the way, did I mention that Steven is one of Faith’s very own musician?

Rating:

Samuel is currently working with a freight forwarding company and enjoys reading, playing soccer and tending to his fish in his free time.

By SAMUEL GOHWe suggest you don’t waste your money

Blah, Next!

OK lah...

Good stuff, worth a try!

Buy it! You won’t regret it!

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visit theAttic Library for thesecd titles everySunDAy!1. WONDER - Michael W. Smith 2. LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE - Parachute Band 3. REAL LIFE - Lincoln Brewster 4. REFUGE - Ryan Griffith 5. WOW GOSPEL 2011 - Various 6. DESERT RAIN - Paul Wilbur 7. LOVE DIVINE - Various 8. WITH A THANKFUL HEART - Don Moen

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