Spirituality – Page 5

Category: Spirituality

Raving About Revival

16 March 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

First there was the 50^th anniversary of the Jesus Movement (celebrated on 17 Sep 2021), a revival that began around 1970 and spread mainly in USA, Western Europe, and Central America, before it cooled in the late 1980s. I recall that in the late 1970’s I read an exciting book about this revival titled Jesus Movement(1974) by Edward Plowman. A few decades later I heard a bearded man with long hair in our church pulpit share about how he was one of those “hippies” in the Jesus revolution. His name is Dr Edward Pousson. When you meet him in person you have to salute the Holy Spirit’s life transforming work in this humble man of God. That revival had to be real!

Next, Salt & Light, Thirst and Hope Church collaborated and released their video documentary on 23 July 2022, about the local Revival of 1972. To date 38,000 have watched this locally produced video. I made a short appearance in the video and enjoyed the interview process because the questions forced me to reflect on what happened in 1972 and its ramifications.

Then a Christian film titled the Jesus Revolution, a drama based on the story of evangelist, pastor and author Greg Laurie, and set in the Jesus movement revival was released on 27 February 2023. I would like to catch this film if it comes to our shores. This film made an impact and I wonder if it may have stirred the hunger and imagination of young people to seek the Lord for revival.

Is Asbury University one of those places where young people were hungry for the Spirit’s move? Something of the Spirit did happen in Asbury, where thousands of people, young and old, but mostly young, experienced a loving and powerful presence of God leading to repentance, confession and transformation. It is now popularly (perhaps prematurely) called Asbury Revival. It began on 8 February 23 and ended on 24 February 23. (When you have such an exact date to mark the end of a revival, can it be a real revival?) More believers have heard about this “revival” because of the prevalence of social media. I received many videos from pastor friends and church members.

There seems to be quite a buzz about revival these days. God seems to be inviting his Bride, the Church, to repentance and to adorn herself with the white garments of first love. Revival is nothing less than a love transfusion to the half dead. Looks like I cannot run from the captivating voice of revival.

Finally, it was my friend Zach Wong who informed me that there had been an article written in Thirst about the Revival of 1972 with more information (from the interview held in the church I served) than what made the final cut in the video. I thought the additional information would be of interest to World Revival Prayer Fellowship members and to the larger public. The writer Gracia Chiang did a great job of picking up significant parts of the interview and those from other interviewees as well. So for those who prefer scanning and reading to watching lengthy documentaries you will want to read this thoroughly researched and balanced article titled “It Changed the Face of Christianity in Singapore” HERE.

What is Spiritual Direction?

15 January 2023 blogpastor 2 Comments

This beautiful image with a magnet for the refrigerator was given by Teresa Hogan, a friend from the faith sharing group I am in. She bought it from the famous Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, Korea. When I beheld the 4cm square print of a painting (see above), it straightaway struck me as a beautiful image of what spiritual direction is all about.

Spiritual direction is about accompanying someone on a journey. Although the picture is actually one of a couple on a journey, it can be anyone. I liked the idea of the spiritual director carrying a staff with a cross at the top, a symbol of our dependence on Christ’s finished work during our spiritual journey. The small sail boat at the harbour reminds us that the journey we take away from the safety of home, may be marked by strong winds and massive waves at some point, and having a companion on this journey of life is vital. Most blessed of all is to have the nurturing and caring Spirit watching with love over our going out and coming in (Psalm 121) and this is pictured in the white overarching cloud in the picture.

I decided not to stick this to the fridge. I will keep it and place it at my desk to remind me what this ministry is all about. But what exactly is Spiritual Direction? Let me give you some of the descriptions that was given to us during one of the lessons in the Spiritual Direction Formation Program I am attending.

“An interpersonal relationship in which one person assists others to reflect on their own experience in the light of what they are called to become in fidelity to the Gospel” (Carroll & Dyckman).

“Spiritual direction, as we understand it then, is directly concerned with a person’s actual experiences of his relationship with God …. religious experience is to spiritual direction what foodstuff is to cooking. Without religious experience there can be no spiritual direction.

We define spiritual direction, then, as help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship. The focus of this type of spiritual direction is on experience, not ideas, and specifically on religious experience, that is, any experience of the mysterious Other whom we call God. Moreover this experience is viewed, not as an isolated event, but as an expression of the ongoing personal relationship God has established with each one of us”. (Barry & Connolly S.J.)

A spiritual director made this observation in one supervisory session: ‘Spiritual direction is like panning for gold. A directee comes and together we dip into the stream of their life and pull up all kinds of things. Rocks of all sizes – I can never guess what is coming next – all kinds of conflicts and problems, then all of a sudden some fleck or nugget of pure gold emerges into view in the bottom of the pan as we swirl the water around, emptying out the rocks.’ This is a powerful and captivating metaphor of the process of spiritual direction. Together, the director and directee look at everything – whatever is in the water and the pan – during their session. The director receives the directee’s life and everything in that life, helping the directee contemplate the gold among all the conflicts and block and stuck places. A skillful, graced director gives that gold reverence, time, interest, and attention until the directee realizes how much more valuable and significant are the flecks of gold – the experiences of grace and the Spirit – then are all the stuck or problematic areas of his or her life.” (Ruffing RSM)

“Spiritual direction seeks primarily to enable the seeker to achieve a deep relationship or grounding in God and thus to live a life of total freedom, individuality and deep love. This is an awesome and complex process which entails ridding oneself of past psychological injuries and traumas, false ways of thinking and acting, and undue attachment to any person, possession, or spiritual practice. At the same time it encourages and fosters a practice of deep prayer so that one can discover ones’ deepest self, and thereby find the will of God in one’s life.” (Alice McDowell)

If you are looking for spiritual direction, Life Direction Singapore , an ecumenical group that has a list of available trained spiritual directors of Catholic or Protestant backgrounds.

Spiritual Direction Formation Program: The Practicum Phase

6 December 2022 blogpastor Leave a comment

It has been a year and I am in semester three of my spiritual direction formation program. I have observed that formation always took priority over information. This is good. This is the way it should be. We learn to listen to God, to listen to one another, and listen to movements in our soul. This growth does not come by more information, but by more formation: awareness and discernment through personal reflection, through spiritual direction with a spiritual director, and through faith sharing in groups.

After three rounds of giving direction to one another in-house, we now enter the phase of spiritual direction practicum. Each us have to find two directees to give spiritual direction to under an experienced supervisor. I feel excited about this phase, and look forward to learning more about spiritual accompaniment. The formators are very serious about the formation of spiritual directors, and want to ensure that even during this phase the volunteer directees will benefit from their sessions.

On Saturday, we had a Day of Prayer at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary retreat house opposite the Botanic Gardens at 49 Holland Road. In each semester, a few days are devoted to such retreat days or week. We learn to be aware of what God is doing in our life and to respond to his invitations.

For the first half of the day, we were instructed to reflect on the past year and to observe movements, encounters, people, blessings and joys, struggles and burdens, doubts and certitude, passion or aridity, hope and longing. As I reflected on the past year I gave thanks for the excitement and joy of observing the personal and spiritual growth in my formation. The highlights of my year were mostly related to the formation program.

Lunch was fulsome: bento sets, beverages, banana cake, chocolates, and grapes. All was eaten in silence. We were to savour the fullness and richness of this blessing. I was so satiated I found myself wishing for a nap.

The afternoon reflection was thankfully more tangible, since we had a heavy meal. We each took prayer shawls of different colours, cuttings and patterns. The long prayer shawl of the Jews is called “tallit/tallith”). “Tal” means tent. “ith” means little. Thus, with the shawl over our heads we set up a little tent, and invite God into our home, and we fellowship with Him in private prayer. The four fringes of the shawl are called “tzitzit” and comes from the Hebrew word “tzutz” which means “to gaze”. What a beautiful description of what should happen in prayer. With this “tent” we were instructed to meditate on the uncertainty of the journey ahead of us, similar perhaps to the twists, turns and movements of Joseph and Mary, accompanied by the holy infant Jesus. I have no certitude of what the future holds, but with God’s presence, I feel very assured and rested that like Joseph, who was entrusted with Jesus, I would experience the provision and providence of God.

***meaningful brass engraving of infant Jesus***

At the end of the day of prayer, it was announced that we will get a confirmation via email of who we are giving direction to and what we need to do. I look forward to this new movement.