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A Sensory Stroll

29 October 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

What if you are not the type that can sit still and pray? Are alternatives to silencing the heart and resting the mind available? Yes. One is to go for a sensory stroll. A stroll is a short leisurely, slow walk. Not natural for most Singaporeans. According to surveys, we are some of the fastest walkers among urbanites around the world. So this spiritual exercise takes some learning.

Learning to walk at a leisurely pace is challenging but we also want to add to that a heightening of our physical senses in the stroll. It can be done one by one awareness. For example, we could begin with a focus on what we see. As you stroll observe the buildings, people, park bench, trees, leaves, flowers, cars and pavements. Observe colours, textures, shapes and lines. Pause if anything catches your attention. Next, you concentrate on hearing: the hum of traffic, children playing, birds chirping, rustling of leaves, the MRT train rolling by, the footfall of others and yourself. Then, feel. The mild breeze, the hot humid steam, the mask against your face, perspiration on the forehead, the out-of-breath feeling. Be aware of smell too. Occasionally, you smell jasmine, or worse, traffic smog or delicious food, depending on where you take your stroll. Such a walk can be a relaxing exercise as your mind is temporarily focused on the sensory input, and not on your worries and other mental preoccupations. So this is a good spiritual exercise to ready the mind and heart and body for reflection, prayer and Bible reading.

With Singapore’s hot humid climate, the early morning or late evening seems to be the more suitable times for this exercise. Occasionally a hike in the forest, reservoir or parks can be a great extended leisurely walk with an added play and pray dimension.

Why not give this a try and let readers know what it was like? Put your experience in the comment box.

Christ’s Finished Work: Church

22 October 2021 blogpastor Leave a comment

The church as we know her is a mixed bag of good, bad and quirky, comprising all kinds of denominations and independent churches of slightly or greatly varying beliefs and practices. Yet like the animals in Noah’s ark, many do co-exist in harmony, though some cannot get along, and most do not love each other. The church is marked historically by her failures to truly represent and obey her Lord; by her disagreements, division, and many other imperfections. The history of the church does not make for pleasant reading. Certain chapters can be disturbing.

The Church is Bought with Jesus’ Blood

Nevertheless, the church as we know it is the Beloved of God. It is deeply loved and greatly favoured by God. The reason for this is the finished work of Christ. The church is the people of God, past present and future, and they have been redeemed at a great price, the precious blood, the death of Christ our Lord. Acts 20:28 makes this crystal clear: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood”. And apostle Peter echoes, “For you (the church) know that is was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The ancient imagery used here is one of purchasing slaves from their owners in a slave market. Silver and gold was used to buy them over to new ownership. However this currency are inadequate for spiritual redemption. Only the blood of Christ – the finished work of Christ is sufficient. When such an infinite price is paid for redemption, what is redeemed must be infinitely valuable and loved by the new Lord. Despite the church’s imperfections, our Lord loves it with great length and breadth, depth and height.

The church was redeemed to be a blessing not a blunder, a gift not a gaffe that embarrasses her Creator. She was not a mistake but a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good. She may now seem old, frail, and failed, yet she is filled with divine possibilities and potential. In fact, she is ever partaking of the divine nature of the love and holiness of God. She fails, but thankfully, she fails forward. God is her patient and long-suffering Sanctifier and Lover. It is in this unwavering love of God that her faith is rooted, and her hope deeply anchored.

Adam’s Rib is the Church

An interesting biblical image of the formation of the church is that of God taking out a rib from Adam’s side to form Eve. St Jerome preached, “Adam’s rib fashioned into a woman signifies Christ and his Church”. Just as the woman was made from man, so the church has her origin in Christ. We can see the deep sleep of Adam as a foreshadowing of Christ’s death, from which God obtained the divine material with which the church was built. Do not forget it was precious blood shed by a pierced, suffering Christ that formed the church, even the church as we know it today, in all its imperfections. Always appreciate and give thanks for the church, God’s gift to mankind, formed at such a great cost.

Love the Church As Christ Loves Her

God loves the church, and so should we who are children of God. I love my church, not the church as an abstract idea, but the local church, the “extended family” that gathers at Lorong 27A, Geylang, with all its strengths and weaknesses, successes and failings, gifts and lack. This community has been my family, my bomb-shelter, my clinic, my friends, my help, my school, my sandpaper, my sharpener. This is God’s design: that the church, broken as it is, becomes the instrument and space that shapes and forms, wounds and heals us – and little by little (“from one degree of glory to another” 2 Cor 3:18) we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Too many Christians make use of the church to draw benefits for themselves and their families instead of doing what Christ did: Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. We consume the services of the church; and complain like customers when the “products” and “services” are not up to our expectations. Sadly, many Christians have become consumers and not lovers. We who are followers of Christ will find ourselves loving the church and indeed giving ourselves to serve, encourage, and intercede for all the saints with all perseverance and supplication (Eph 6.18).

Father, help us to see we are not called to judge the church, but to love her and to give ourselves to her in intercession, encouragement and participation. May the church you love become a glorious church, ready as a Bride for the coming King. Amen.

(This is part 3 of a series: “A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”)

Why is Silence Essential in Prayer

17 October 2021 blogpastor 2 Comments

Treasuring silence is one of hardest and oddest thing to do in modern urban society. But it is absolutely necessary if we care about our spirituality and growth in maturity. The spiritual discipline of silence is essential material for our formation into godly persons. In this discipline we shut our souls up from all kinds of sounds: whether they be noise, music, or conversation; and from the inner chatter that never ceases in our minds. We seek this stillness and quiet with the aim of giving our full attention to God. The practice of silence is a tough act but there are good reasons why it is golden for spiritual growth.

Why Silence Is Essential

First, silence helps us cultivate a disposition of openness to God – a disposition of listening. “So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’” (1Sam3:9). A rested body and soul seemed to be of help in receiving God’s communications, but more importantly, having a disposition that is ready to listen to God, open to whatever he shared. And if we are constantly talking TO God, we cannot be listening to him at the same time. We need to make a shift and listen more and talk less. The challenge to listening to God is that we often shelter too much inner noises of anxiety and turbulence and preferences that block us from noticing God’s notifications and invitations to us.

Second, silence demonstrates a disciple’s trust and dependence on God. Rather than leaning on his own understanding to analyze and solve problems, or make a choice or plan, the disciple prefers to lean on and patiently wait for God’s wisdom and power to be shared. Rather than figuring a way out without any reference to God, the disciple discusses, listens and collaborates with the Lord in “osmotic prayer” – a process similar to osmosis where the Lord weaves in his wisdom and will into the disciple’s consciousness as a matter is discussed with God. “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation” (Psalms 62:1,5).

Third, it reflects a beautiful posture of worship and reverence. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab 2:20). When a great and holy personage walks onto the stage, the only appropriate action is to stop whatever you have been doing, shut your mouth and open your eyes to see, and ears to listen attentively. Such a respectful response of silent attention to God is appropriate whenever we begin prayer too. Be silent before him.

Fourth, as our friendship with God grows more intimate it naturally gravitates towards more silence. Great intimates and lovers are known to communicate in silence. They understand the sounds of silence: expressions of love in the eyes or gentle touch, that look, the smile, the twinkle in the eye, the knowing nod, the kiss, the silent gaze. Someone described this form of prayer as: “I look at Him, and He looks at me”. Gazing at each other with love and in silence.

Fifth, when silence is coupled with solitude over a few days, it often yields the fruit of quiet reflection and meditation: a God given “know thyself” and the surfacing of past memories and emotions that had been repressed during your hurried and harried life. The Holy Spirit wants to help with the processing of these raw and painful materials so that the sting of these can be discerned and extricated, and forgiveness received and released, and the wounds healed and sealed. It was in “a sound of sheer silence”(1 Kings 19:12), not the earthquake, storm or fire, that the Lord revealed himself, surfacing his repressed indignation, disappointment with God, and fear. Having helped Elijah processed his repressed pain, God restored Elijah, and re-commissioned him.

Suggested Exercises for Silence

Set a timer to five minutes and gradually increase it to twenty minutes of silence. Sit comfortably in a relaxed posture. Breath in and out slowly and deeply and focus on our breath. This focus on our breath will help draw our attention away from outer and inner noise. It will help us be quiet before God.

Once you have done the above exercise, add this exercise to it. Imagine God the Father or the Son in front of you. Be conscious of his loving presence. He looks at you without condemnation, but with loving kindness and warm affection. No words: just gazing at each other with love.

Mother Teresa was once interviewed and what a memorable interview it was!

Interviewer: When you pray what do you say to God?

Teresa: I don’t talk, I simply listen.

Interviewer: Ah then, what is it that God says to you when you pray?

Teresa: He also doesn’t talk. He also simply listens.

Interviewer: (Long puzzled silence)

Teresa: “If you cannot understand the meaning of what I just said, I am sorry but there is no way I can explain it any better.”

Last exercise: Imagine you have an audience with God Almighty our heavenly Father, so take time to quietly reflect and note down what you are going to say to God, what petition you plan to present to God. Prepare yourself. When ready to meet with God, kneel before him, with your notes, and begin to reverently present your petitions to God carefully and reverently. “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few” (Eccl 5:1,2).