Spirituality – Page 18

Category: Spirituality

Cycling with friends in Punggol Waterway Park

5 February 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

I am blessed to have God-given friends. I met Lance Ng, a spiritual director working with Kingsmead Center, on the recommendation of Jacintha Teo (see blogroll links). A modest man who gave up a promising career to serve God in giving spiritual direction. I met him regularly for about a year in Kingsmead, and during that period went with him to a retreat in Chau Son, and a camino in Spain. He is graced by God to listen and give sharp insights that help me grow in self-understanding, knowing God and what he is doing in my soul. Recently, he guided me through a retreat for my transition and I was blessed. You can read about this retreat HERE.

Another lovely friend, my wife and I got acquainted with is Kae, a social worker with a social service agency. We got to know her during the Chau Son retreat and the camino and connected with her easily.

They have both picked up cycling during the Covid-19 and find in it a great joy and re-creation. There is a theology of play as you know and we are not to devalue play, as it is a way to pre-dispose ourselves to God. We can even find the God who dances in play. Thankfully, it took confinement and covid-19 to prod them into cycling. So when they invited me to a riding jaunt in the north east – the Punggol Waterway, I was happy to do so, as it would be my first time cycling with them. So after a camino meeting where we planned retreats (see image below) that Lance would be leading in the first and second quarter, we had two Bromptons in the car boot and headed to a free car park near Punggol Seafood restaurant and started our bike ride from there.

*The retreats planned from Feb to May 2021*

The last time I rode here was with Pastor Richard Wong in March 2016. The Punggol Waterway Park was new then. I wrote, “I agree with him that this is a beautiful park. Give it another five years for the young trees to grow bigger and shadier and it will be perfect”. To read the full story click HERE.

The weather was cloudy and cool on this afternoon ride on Friday, 22 January 2021. It was a lovely ride and I enjoyed the shady experience provided by trees that have grown lush with branches and leaves that lends its evergreen tint upon the whole scene. We rode around and was on the iconic Halus Bridge. Mid-afternoon showers arrived, and we reached our coffee destination in time to avoid the rain, and had coffee and cake at an area by the river, which had many cafes and restaurants which did not exist five years ago. Quite happening. I imagine this must place must be packed during weekends.

It was a satisfying relaxed afternoon of riding with friends who I realised were much younger and fitter than me, as I often found myself 50 metres behind them straining to catch up. I felt gratified, grateful and glad. Life with God is never boring even after retirement.

Shocking Prayer For After Excretion

21 January 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

Asher Yatzar. Observant Jews pray this blessing after urination or excretion. They recite the prayer after washing and drying their hands. It is called the Asher Yatzar. This is the prayer:

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, Who formed man with wisdom and created within him many openings and many hollows. It is obvious and known before Your Throne of Glory that if even one of them ruptures, or it even one of them becomes blocked, it would be impossible to survive and to stand before You (even for a short period). Blessed are You, Adonai, Who heals all flesh and acts wondrously.
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer

When I saw this prayer, I was surprised and embarrassed. I found it interesting that this prayer is prayed diligently by observant Jews after each urination or excretion. It shows the earthiness of Judaism. The Jews pray this in gratitude for health – that they are able to urinate and excrete. There is no tinge of shame or unseemliness in such a prayer, for to the Jews their faith is practical and embodied in physical existence too. They are right for indeed without these abilities we would be in deep trouble health-wise.

The Christian faith is earthy and practical and embodied. We share the same Old Testament scriptures with the Jews. The name of the prayer, “Asher Yatzar” literally means “God has formed man”. God the creator formed our human bodies with all its “openings and hollows”. Therefore we should remember and honour God’s creation, our bodies, and give thanks to the Creator when everything is working as it should. He deserves honour because He who created the majestic Milky Way and our planetary system, did not think it below him to worry about our ugly, smelly and tiny openings. He cares about every detail and design of our bodies – God be praised.

I read this interesting insight in a book Elaine, my daughter bought, and I borrowed out of curiosity about the title, “Liturgy of the Ordinary” by Tish Harrison Warren, that gives rich insight into how our boring activities of every day life sanctifies us. This prayer was mentioned in Chapter 3 which uses daily tooth brushing as its anchor metaphor.

Each time we excrete is an opportunity to thank God for health and to honour your body, his creation.

Distractions That Spoil A Silent Retreat

18 January 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

WI-FI USAGE & WORK

Whether it is a laptop, cell phone or tablet, any kind of device that gives you a wireless connection will be a major distraction. Our frequent usage of mobile devices and its resultant positive emotional rewards have conditioned us to a habitual pattern of usage whenever we hold our cell phones in our hands. Our muscle memory takes over and we unconsciously repeat our usual routines of phone usage. In normal life, this is at worse, a time stealer. In a silent retreat, this becomes a distracting idol that disrupts the time you have set apart for the Lord and Love of your life.

*The cell phone can be a major distraction*

There was one recent retreat where I thought I was able to limit my usage to using the Bible App in my cell phone, and take pictures for blogging and sharing with loved ones. I was fooling myself. I got absorbed in it, and the digital idol took over and became a major distraction from listening to the Lord.

I felt that the precious time I had set apart to be with the Lord would have been better if I had not bought that Thai local SIM card at Changi Recommends. If I needed to communicate with my family or church office, I could do it when I arrived on the first day. Most cafes there have free wi-fi and I could have communicated my whereabouts from there. I regretted falling into temptation and learned an expensive lesson.

An even greater distraction is urgent work. Do ensure your work will not chase after you where you are. Finish whatever you have to before the retreat proper begins.

BOOKS

Silent retreats can be forbidding and we wonder how 16 to 18 waking hours will pass. We may think one way to pass the time is to bring along books for work, for spiritual nourishment and for leisure. Most books are not helpful and may not flow in tandem with what the Spirit is wanting to accomplish in you. Why not let the spiritual director guide you in your meditations and readings if any? Let him or her sense what God is doing in your soul and direct you to scripture passages or spiritual exercises that will facilitate, and not hinder, God’s ongoing deep work.

*Take your pictures but remember your purpose for being there*

PUTTING ON THE TOURIST CAP

It is natural that when you are in an unfamiliar place or overseas for a silent retreat you would want to get to know your environment and surroundings. Some exploration is inevitable and with it the joy of discovery of new sights, things, and experiences. However, if you put on the tourist cap, looking for things to buy and see and experience, it will be a distraction from your main purpose of seeking God.

DISCOMFORT LEVEL

We Singaporeans are used to a high level of comfort. Our standard of living Is first world. However, retreat houses are not five stars hotels, not even three stars hotels. They are modest spaces designed for worship, prayer, quiet and rest.

The mattresses are not Simmons or Sealy, but definitely better than a sleeping bag. Some have en suite bathrooms but many, especially in Asia, have common bathrooms. They are not restaurants. You wouldn’t queue up for the food, but it is balanced and we Singaporeans could all do with eating less anyway.

There are very comfortable retreat houses but they are more expensive and often found in Western countries like Australia, Spain, USA and England.

Accepting that the comfort level is not ideal in retreat houses, and being mentally prepared will go a long way in helping you focus on seeking God. If you are fixated on fixing your comfort level, you will be totally distracted. Do what you can as you anticipate some problems with comfort, like, bring your own pillow if it is really necessary!! But accept what cannot be changed, and pray for the grace of enduring hardship like a good soldier of Christ.

What are some major distractions you have experienced in your silent retreats? Share it with all the readers by writing below in the comment box.