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Chinese New Year

12 February 2019 blogpastor Leave a comment

This was the first time my wife and I celebrated Chinese New Year without our children. They were all overseas. This felt empty, but that’s why they call it empty nest!

Reunion dinner and the sumptuous food cooked by Jenny

However it was a joy to have Baby and family, Simeon, and my brother over for reunion dinner on the eve. My wife cooked up a storm and the combination of dishes looked impressive.

On the first day it was to my eldest brother home that my siblings and their family gathered. It is a good tradition to pay respect to the eldest on the male side – in keeping with ancient Chinese traditions. CNY is all about family and the lunar new year. In China, after a long cold winter, the first signs of spring is always welcome. In Singapore, it’s hot all the year round. There isn’t that sense of anticipation that makes CNY so welcome. Nevertheless, we keep some of the traditions.

Later it was another potluck dinner with my mum’s siblings and families, and the second day of CNY was a potluck meal in my home again.

After these several rounds of makan, conversation and in particular cooking, for my wife, she felt absolutely tired and needed a few days of afternoon naps to recover. She gets better at cooking with each passing year but the spirit is willing and the body is stretched to its limits.

Next year we may get smarter. But I don’t know how because whatever smart ideas will be offset by the return of my two sons and their families. We may cook less days, but still cook more food. Ha….. still at least it is a good problem.

My wife could have a time-out but I couldn’t because I had to preach on Sunday, which was the 6th day of Chinese New Year and a day we launched the Andrew Initiative to all three congregations: the English and Mandarin and deaf congregations together. This poses the challenge of communications that suit quite different people groups. Thank God for his grace that it was suitably done. What an exciting and meaningful and tiring Chinese New Year!

We rejoice in all the blessings of health, prosperity and success because ultimately God is the source of this abundance. Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Amen.

Celebration of Hope tickets going, going, gone.

30 January 2019 blogpastor Leave a comment

The Celebration of Hope evangelistic rallies will be held in the National Stadium from May 17 to 19. The 17th and 19th are for the English speaking, while the 18th (Saturday) is for the Mandarin speakers. The evangelist for the English speaking is J. John a prominent, anointed British evangelist of Indian descent. The evangelist for the Mandarin speaking is Kau Shao En.

We attended a briefing session on the 22nd January last Tuesday. It was well attended and we were given up to date information. With that information we got our COH church timeline done up and started briefing the cell leaders and the congregation.

However today the information we were given about the availability of the COH app and the tickets to the Stadium is outdated. Originally we were told the Apps would be ready the day before. It was late a day, which is okay, but then the apps is available only on Google Play and not on Apple yet. So those with iPhones are stranded and will have to find alternative means. We were also told that the tickets will be available for reservation only a week later but instead they were immediately available on the same date the app was ready for downloads.

The tickets are going fast and we being kiasu Singaporeans fear losing out and are booking tickets beyond what we need….just in case. There will after all be a chance later (in April) to dispose of tickets we will not use so that those on the waiting list can have them. Currently at the time of this writing close to 21% of seats has already been reserved. 20,000 tickets out of 100,000 of the English rally has already been snatched up on the first day.

This is all encouraging and we have to keep praying that there would be a gracious and glorious harvest of souls to make this a memorable nation wide rally since the Billy Graham meetings at the old National Stadium.

To download the COH app, and to reserve tickets go here: https://celebrationof hope.sg/tickets/.

The download button of the COH app is at the bottom of the above link. You need to download that before you can reserve tickets.

Pastors Prayer Summit 2019

28 January 2019 blogpastor Leave a comment

My intention was to introduce new staff members Alvin Lim and Tom Cannon to Love Singapore Pastors’ Prayer Summit 2019. So I was glad that Vincent Hoon was willing to go too as we could room together. We set off in his car and stopped at Yong Peng for simple Hockchiew lunch.

Alvin Lim, Vincent Hoon, myself and Tom Cannon at Bukit Indah for lunch on the way home

I enjoyed this Prayer Summit, more than those I attended in the past. It is partly the program, and partly the people, and partly the fact that I have grown. Let me list some personal highlights of this summit.

It was wonderful to catch up with friends and acquaintances during the several meals and meetings we had together. Catching up and talking shop gives me information, solidarity, and belonging. Meeting Richard Wong and Kenny Fam and Twie Kim was such a joy. And seeing the old stalwarts of Love Singapore puts a smile on my face and encourages me. I wonder if I would attend the summit after my retirement the way these guys did.

Kenny Fam, myself and Vincent Hoon – we met as a faith sharing group for about 18 years

The main speaker, a pastor Yang was dynamite. He is a Mandarin pastor from Taiwan who preached in Mandarin and was interpreted into English – a first for the Pastors’ Summit. A passionate, radical, seeker of lost souls and church transformer he enlightened, encouraged, challenged, cajoled, and awakened us to the condition of the church, the seminaries and us pastors. Culture is a comfortable man-made cocoon and truth can be uncomfortable and disturbing and awakening. In most churches the existing culture does not match up with Scripture. In a nutshell, he shook us all up. We need to make disciples the way Jesus did: more Hebraic practical action and obedience training than Greek conceptualising and grasping of theory. A real preacher: either you love or loathe him; assimilate or resist his ideas. Thank you Rev Yang.

There was an emotional remembrance of apostle Rick Seaward. So poignant, so touching, so piercing. What a great man has left Love Singapore, what a loss. It was good the movement grieved together. Loved Lawrence Khong’s personal reminiscence of his friendship with Rick.

It became clear to me Love Singapore is a movement that resists becoming an institution; like the tribal confederation before they instituted kingship. The Spirit of God anoints and chooses and rules. This is a great strength that will keep the movement resilient, effective and impactful. Register Love Singapore as a registered society and it will start losing its vitality. I love it as it is.

I enjoyed the session where the young leaders that have been added to the leadership team were interviewed with two veterans, creative Eugene Seow and witty Lawrence Chua. I must say I loved what I heard and saw of the younger leadership. I noticed especially the genuineness, the authenticity – something that seems common among spiritual leaders of generation next. There is something precious we can learn from them.

Then there was the initiative for Love Japan. Love Timor continues, but Love Japan has been added. There is a sensing from the LS leadership that this is the kairos moment for Japan. Some Japanese pastors/leaders were present to share about Japan’s need. Very low percentage of about 1% are Christians. Exciting.

The last but not least the Awaken Generation team of musicians and worship leaders were there. These bunch of young, telegenic, talented, anointed, stratospheric worship leaders and musicians were great to have around. They have a special anointing. Next year I hope they come again and I hope they can be given more “space” to lead us into God’s presence.

I came thinking this will be the last time before I retire. I left thinking maybe I should go one last time in 2020. If God so wills.