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Three weddings and a funeral

3 January 2010 blogpastor 4 Comments

It began with my son listening to his Japanese love albums. Overhearing, I found them catchy despite not understanding the lyrics. It sort of grows on you. I have watched many episodes of Japan hour and even caught some J movies and serials. Lately, I have used Japanese tracks for some of my slides in YouTube and videos. And I have been hearing them on and off. Subconcious decisions. Even now, with the cool of afternoon drizzle outside my window, Japanese songs are blaring in my bedroom and I am happily writing my blogposts for the week. Maybe its the J pop that stoked my creativity and lightness of being as reflected in my blogpost today.

I have conducted three weddings and a funeral in recent months. Interesting and very different ones.

The first was at an award-winning restaurant along Clarke Quay just before the lunch crowd. It was a small intimate family affair. A ceremony for registration of the marriage of Nat and Janice. The HDB required proof of marriage but wedding plans was later. It reminded me of my own situation in 1980. I did the registration of my marriage to satisfy HDB requirements, and later did the church marriage solemnization. It was not uncommon in my days and quite a number of couples landed in the same quandary. So I conducted the marriage registration as deputy registrar of marriage for Nat and Janice, and after that they continue to live separately until their actual church marriage ceremony. Umm…..never mind if you don’t understand. Anyway I enjoyed the ambience, and the sumptuous leisurely lunch in a restaurant that overlooked the Singapore river.

The second wedding was the marriage of my god-daughter Eunice and Colin. I was of course happy to see their relationship blossom into a covenant before God and man. An answered prayer for me. The wedding was elegance in full bloom. Well dressed good-looking young men and women of the entourage, as well as family, guests and well wishers. The location was unique and understatedly grand: the Asian Civilization Museum, with its old Brit colonial swagger. The ceremony went smoothly, everyone was relaxed despite the formality of dress, and the hall and reception area was tastefully decorated with elegant design touches that drew out the oohs and aahhs and phone cameras from aesthetes. Later they had a tea ceremony in the hall itself. Eunice has uploaded early pics on her blog, Memoire of Eunice. The next evening was a dinner at the Tanglin Club with close family members and friends. It was like being in a movie as couples took to the dance floor and danced to live music….including novices like me and my wife, a first for us. 🙂

On New Year’s day, which was yesterday, I did another kind of wedding. This one was done at home in a five room HDB flat. Stephen Koh and Lily Lim. It was surprisingly refreshing, free from the burden of dress and formality of the usual weddings. We were all dressed smart casual, and I could see the power of community of the small church, as the friends from the cell group went all out to help make the wedding special. From photo taking, to decor, to whatever else was needed that kept them at work until 4 am on the wedding day itself. The groom was so touched he choked while saying a heartfelt thanks to the cell group and helpers. I did the solemnization next to the LCD TV and the signing in the balcony, and we had excellent food from Four Seasons outside the larger than normal lift landing. The couple hosted their reception with two groups: one over lunch and one over dinner.

All three were so special. I like weddings. More Lord, more.

Now that I have written about three weddings, I have no heart to write about a special funeral I witnessed and participated in. The mood is just not right. Perhaps another time. But I will not change the catchy title for obvious reasons. 🙂

Contemporary megachurch first founded by a woman

29 December 2009 blogpastor 5 Comments

The men may not like to read this but it was a woman who birthed what I believe was the precursor to the contemporary megachurch. This woman’s name was Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944). After a short stint as a missionary’s wife was curtailed by her husband’s death, and a period of fruitful itinerant evangelistic preaching, she decided to base herself in Los Angeles, California. There she built an enormous church with a seating capacity of 5,300. The Angelus Temple, which was completed in 1923, became a forerunner of contemporary megachurches of today.

Drama and entertainment in the service of the gospel

She incorporated Hollywood entertainment and theatrics to attract and hold the attention of the crowds. Once she had a giant whale built on stage and she dressed up as Jonah to preach. Another time she preached to the LA Police and came on stage on a motorbike in police uniform, dismounted it, blew the whistle, and shouted:”Stop! You are breaking the law! ” That’s drama for you. According to Wikipedia, her “illustrated sermons attracted people from the entertainment industry, looking to see a “show” that rivaled what Hollywood had to offer. These famous stage productions drew people who would never have thought to enter a church, and then presented them with her interpretation of the message of salvation. McPherson believed that the Gospel was to be presented at every opportunity, and used worldly means at her disposal to present it to as many people as possible”. She preached a gospel of love and reconciliation and grace, unlike the many preaching the hell and brimstone gospel. “McPherson was famous both inside and outside of religious circles. Every city where services were held usually had civic leaders in attendance, as well as pastors representing the local churches of every denomination. She made sure that Angelus Temple was represented in local parades and entered floats into the famous Rose Parade in Pasadena”.

Multi-gifted megachurch leader with a social conscience

Her messages were accompanied with signs following: people were “slain in the Spirit”, “drunk in spirit”, healed, speaking in tongues and other supernatural phenomena. The church was filled to capacity three times each day, seven days a week.

“She was also very skillful at fundraising. Collections were taken at every meeting, usually with the admonishment of “no coins, please”. When the $1.5 million Angelus Temple opened its doors, construction was already entirely paid for through private donations.”(Wikipedia)

She started a social and educational center for mid-western immigrants to California and during the Great Depression she supplied free hot meals for thousands of poor and hungry people.

She started a Bible School to train pastors and missionaries and by 1944 over 4000 have graduated from its doors. She also planted many satellite churches in the pattern of the Salvation Army and they evolved into a denomination called the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

When it came to communications Aimee was way ahead of many: she wrote scores of books, 180 songs, 7 sacred operas. She also published the weekly Foursquare Crusader and a monthly magazine called “Bridal Call”. She also began broadcasting on radio in its infancy in the early ’20s. McPherson was the first woman in history to preach a radio sermon, and with the opening of Foursquare Gospel-owned KFSG (now KXOL) on and was also the first woman to be granted a broadcast license by the Federal Radio Commission.

But her life was marked by controversy: her divorces, a suspicious kidnap and an alleged adulterous relationship, and her death from sedatives. Read more about Aimee Semple MacPherson (Wikipedia).

The contemporary model of the megachurch is not a new idea: it’s almost a century-old!

And it was founded by a woman!

(This article was first published on the 28th Jan 2008.)

A Christian review in the Lord of a busy day by David Keith Townsend

27 December 2009 blogpastor Leave a comment

“Let me give you an article I wrote which shows how to pray while busy in the Lord’s work. This is what I practice,” said David Townsend, dressed in a Hawaiian bright blue shirt, and looking about 60 . He was my spiritual director for a silent retreat at the Seven Fountains, Chiangmai, Thailand. He gave me permission to reprint and share it online. This ancient practice of reflective prayer called the “examen” is invaluable for all Christians living on the fast lane, not just pastors. It was originated by St Ignatius of Loyola(see pic on left) for his Jesuit priests. It is a practical and spiritual practice that cultivates a grateful heart and a greater awareness of God’s activity in our daily lives.

“My day is the place where I meet God moment to moment. My day is also the place where I fail to meet God moment to moment. My God is continually revealing himself to me in the places, events and people of my day. So it would seem rather important to look at this day in which my commitment to God finds, or fails to find, its expression. My day is the place where I respond, or don’t, to the moment to moment calls to love and service of those around me. My day is where God is moment to moment exercising his loving providence over me. My day is where I allow, or don’t, God to work his will for me. How can I grow in an awarenesss of and sensitivity to God working in my own life? The simple way is to look back over the day at some time when I have leisure to do so. Not just to look back in general terms, but to look back seeking to find where God has been active for me in my life today.

Prayerful reflection is an important aspect of Ignatian spirituality. St Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, was especially keen on this prayer of reflection on the day. For the Jesuits he founded, he insists on two 15-minute periods of such prayer each day. This prayer has variously been called the Examen, the Examination of Conscience, and, more recently, the Examen of Consciousness, or the Review of the Day. It is almost as if Ignatius were saying, “How can you say you are living a Christian life if you never reflect on it? How can you say you are doing God’s will if you never look to see what you are really doing? You want to serve Christ and live a more Christlike life, well then, reflect on how your day has been, and let the experience of the day teach you what it will.”

Most Christians believe God is working through his Spirit in their lives – unfortunately few reflect on this crucial fact of their lives. The Examen is a short prayer exercise which can help develop in me a greater awareness and sensitivity to the concrete ways God has been working in my day for me. This greater sense of God with me leads me to a more accurate and spontaneous response to the initiatives of his presence. Traditionally there are five aspects or moments to the prayer of Examen, and on any one occasion perhaps one or more aspects will predominate. So these five aspects are not a syllabus to be got through. I give any one of these aspects the time I desire and need.

The First aspect is the fostering of an attitude of thanksgiving or gratitude. There is nothing that has not been given me. I am always on the receiving end of gift. I myself am God’s greatest gift to me- I am the gift by which I can know every other gift. I am the gift in which I can know my own giftedness. So I spend what time I need to become aware of my need to be grateful, to see the giftedness of my own life and living. As this gratitude touches me I express it how I will to Father, Son and Spirit.

The Second aspect is to ask for light. I beg the Spirit to enlighten me to see what the Spirit wants me to see. In other words, it is not my analysis of the day which is important. Nor is it my judgement of what is fine or fitting that is central. Nor has this enlightenment anything to do with my own leanings towards a morbid introspection. I ask the Spirit to show me in the everyday events and people of my life where and how God was present and working for me. I am seeking to find God. The Examen is positive. Without this prayer for light I could all too easily poke around within myself in such a way that scabs are knocked off wounds that would heal very well if only I left them will alone.

The Third aspect of the Examen is to play back the day in such a way as to find God in all of that day of mine. I remember the places I have been in; I recall the activities I undertook; I see the people I was with. In other words: places, occupations, people. I ask the Lord to show me where he was present, in me and in others. To say that God is everywhere may be very true, but it is not very helpful here. It is probably more helpful to remember that God has been acting for me wherever I notice the traces of the Spirit in those places, in those occupations, and among those people of my day. So where have I been aware of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control?(Galatians 5:22,23). I notice each place and express my gratitude. Where I was able to open myself to the work of the Spirit I give deeper thanks. Where I closed myself to those gifts, I ask for sorrow and express my repentance, in some appropriate way seeking reconciliation.

The Third aspect of the Examen automatically flows into the Fourth aspect, which is the deepening of the gifts of sorrow and gratitude. I beg the Lord to deepen my awareness of not allowing him to work for me in his gifts, or of not allowing him to work through me for another, or through another for me. I praise the Lord for those times I did let him work for me, when I co-operated with his gifts.

On any one occasion of praying the Examen I may just wish to take one gift of the Spirit, for example joy. I see where I noticed joy in my day, and give thanks; the places where I entered into the joy of another, or allowed another to enter into my joy; the times joy was shared. These were the concrete moments when God was acting and working in his gift of joy for me and for others. Conversely, I become aware of the times and places when I prevented God acting for me in his gift of joy; when I would not enter into the joy of another, or when I was a kill-joy. I see this now and express my sorrow. And so similarly with the other gifts of the Spirit which are being continuously poured out on my life moment to moment.

The Fifth and final aspect of the Examen is to take a look ahead and to ask for what help and guidance I will need. I can foresee fairly clearly the next day, or half-day: what places will I be in? what people will be with me? what occupations will I take on? or be involved in? With this person I will need the gift of patience; in this place, perseverence; with this occupation, the gift of gentleness, if someone is not to be unduly hurt, etc. I ask for what I see I need very simply and humbly with trust in the loving providence of Father, Son and Spirit – God-with-me.

The practice of the Examen will help foster a growing sensitivity to God, the Trinity, moment to moment at work with me and for me, and through me for others, and through others for me. My life becomes one of greater ease in ’seeking and finding God in all things’, as St Ignatius would put it.”

David Keith Townsend, SJ

Sunday, 17th April 1983