Life Direction Singapore

Tag: Life Direction Singapore

A Satisfying Weekend

1 November 2024 blogpastor Leave a comment

Day of Prayer: Gift Immeasurable

This past weekend was significant and satisfying. We accompanied participants in a Day of Prayer at Montfort Centre. The retreat theme was “Gift Immeasurable.” Kelvyanne Teoh and Zerah Goh were the retreat facilitators and Chris Joy and Diana Tan were the coordinators. Held at Montfort Centre, this was organized to create opportunities for the formation program graduates to practice what they have learned. We were there to accompany participants and received as much as we gave.

Kenny, Corrine, Eileen, Dawn, Lisa, Sr Bernadetha, Fabiola, Malcolm

The day of prayer was peppered with creative activities that evoked reflections on what we were going through, noticing what we needed and how we could respond to God. For example, there were figurines of people and objects in the centre of each table where the several groups were seated. We were asked to pick one that resonated with us. I chose a tree because that had been a key image for me when I felt drained and inadequate during the latter years of pastoral ministry. In a retreat, I was drawn to a grand old tree. It was rooted deeply and had withstood many a storm. It was old yet provided shelter, home and food to all kinds of birds, insects, and other creeping plants and parasites. The Lord saw me as that tree although I saw myself as worn out and unfruitful. “You are that tree!” I clung to that faith image throughout my dry spell. It helped me through a period of turmoil and near burnout. This strengthening experience of the past flooded my memory and I could feel confidence gradually building up within and replacing the anxiety and inadequacy about the next day’s preaching engagement.

Another activity was to take a postcard-sized picture that spoke to you. It’s like a visio divina instead of a lectio divina. A picture of a path leading through a forest of trees caught my attention and I felt it was an invitation to silence and solitude, to be alone with God and to enjoy his companionship. I am so used to doing things with my wife these days that I wonder if I can be alone with the Lord all day. I also needed to find space in my regular schedule of activities. It has to be a day untouched by any activity. I prayed for grace to overcome these barriers.

Other creative activities, including drawing and making collages helped the participants reflect on their lives, and experience God’s comfort. These reflections often became topics of discussion during their spiritual direction session.

It was a joy to work with my fellow graduates. We were together for a year and nine months of formation and deep sharing. Bonds had been formed and it was pleasant to be in ministry with them. We began at about 8:30 a.m. and ended at about 5:00 p.m. It was a long day but one that was deeply meaningful. Life Direction Singapore organized this. It was the last of the year. I do hope they will continue planning these days of prayer.

Preaching at Rivers of Life Church

Sunday came and I went to preach at Rivers of Life Church, a charismatic church in Henderson. God was gracious. The worship was so anointed and dynamic that I was carried away by rivers of grace and filled with God’s Spirit and power. As I worshipped, my anxieties melted away. As I preached, my faculties were heightened to speak God’s message about “The Sacrifice That Pleases God” based on Leviticus chapter one.

Pastor Andrew Foo of Rivers of Life Church with 99 years old convert

Earlier, the lead pastor Andrew Foo gave certificates to recently baptized candidates. One was a teenager, another was a middle-aged lady, and the third lady had the loudest cheer: an Indian whose age was 99. This is the first time, I have seen someone so old, almost antique, with a reasonable mobility for one that aged. It moved the congregation, as for years they were involved through financial support and practical service in the church’s outreach ministry towards the residents of the nearby rental blocks, and two persons have received Christ and were baptized. Great is your mercy O Lord. You can read more about this church HERE and HERE.

Spiritual Direction Formation Program Graduation

3 October 2023 blogpastor Leave a comment

Praise to the Father

Praise to the Son

Praise to the Spirit

Three in One

This is the song in my heart as I pondered over the graduation of the fourth batch (see above) of the Spiritual Direction Formation Program (2022-2023). I felt great joy and gratitude to be amongst those who were formed by a group of experienced, skilled and dedicated spiritual directors from Life Direction Singapore. It took a year and nine months of serious yet meaningful and enjoyable experiential learning and practicum. Even till out last sessions, our teachers were emphatic that we have to continue being under spiritual direction and supervision. That is how seriously that take this calling and ministry of spiritual direction. I now understand why this should be so. This ministry is a sacred and holy entrustment.

The introductory course was done online because of the Covid-19 precautions. When our first semester began, we were all wearing masks in class. By the time of graduation, we were all maskless at the ground floor conference hall of the newly opened La Salle House, a retreat house located at St Patrick’s School.

Sr Elizabeth(above right), a Good Shepherd Sister who led the earlier program batches, brought us down memory lane with photo collages of the beginnings of the program more than a decade ago, and Sr Francisca (above left) of the Cenacle Sisters, who emceed the graduation service, was the program director of this batch. Together with her, a team of volunteer spiritual directors (see below, together with graduates) gave of themselves in generosity and a labour of love to form us in this calling. One by one our names were called as we went up to receive our Certificate of Completion, signed by Diana Koh, Chair of LDS Exco and Sr Francisca.

The program included class lectures, mostly by Sr Linda Lizada (see below pic with my pastor friend Seng Chor), workshops, group sessions, faith formation, retreats and the practice of spiritual direction under supervision. We were all placed in faith sharing groups (see second one below) and were each assigned to a spiritual director who met us once every three or four weeks for three semesters. We also had to see two directees monthly, and our supervisor (see my supervisor Joy Toh below) during the nine months practicum. Despite having pastored for forty years, I learned so much from this program that would help me to accompany pastors in their journey of faith.

Over the year and nine months of classes, group interactions, and retreats all the participants have grown into an ecumenical community of spiritual directors. Life Direction Singapore, a Christian community of spiritual directors, has granted us complimentary membership and that means we have access to resources, ongoing input and supervision.

I felt glad that I completed this program. I almost did not sign up, but God intervened, and through the generosity of an anonymous benefactor, my son, and a pastor friend, I have been able to be equipped to fulfil my assignment in the new chapter. Although I have retired from my position as a senior pastor, there is no retirement for a servant of God, or even a child of God. I will continue to steward my spiritual gifts and other resources for whatever God invites us to. I will trust God to lead Christians that need spiritual direction to me. Like all the other spiritual directors of Life Direction Singapore, for each session of 45 minutes, a little stipend of $30 to $50 is suggested. However, many spiritual directors will not allow a lack of money to hinder individuals who cannot afford it, to receive spiritual direction.

Pray for all the graduates of this batch of spiritual directors.

Silent Retreat: Spiritual Direction Formation Program

16 August 2022 blogpastor 2 Comments

“A five full days silent retreat”, this was what Sister Fran emphasized to us. She is the leader fronting this program of Life Direction Singapore. We checked in at 4pm a day earlier on Monday to settle in and began our first session at 8pm. After that session, grand silence began and continued till the wrap-up session on Sunday morning at 10.30am, following which, the silence ended. It was an individually directed retreat, as each retreatant had a spiritual director whom they met with for about thirty to forty-five minutes each day.

As a friend

During the opening session, we were asked to write the grace or blessing we wanted to receive from the Lord during the retreat. I wrote that I wanted “friendship with Jesus”. I wanted to spend the week like a vacation with Jesus as my friend. I recalled the verse in Exodus 33:11, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend”. I longed to keep company with the Lord.

In my first session with my spiritual director, Soo Hoong, a ministry staff from Paya Lebar Methodist Church, I shared with her the grace I asked for: friendship with God. She asked me to think of this retreat as being with a friend for a week. I could discuss with the Lord what we could do together, or vice versa. I could also share what is on my heart or ask the Lord what was on his heart, like, “How do you see me?” In the sessions that followed she would prompt me with other suggestions of how this divine friendship could be nurtured and find expression during the retreat.

I asked the Lord a few times, “How do you see me?” The answer was to come two days later through an image that came to me of an infant child. Straight away I was reminded of a Psalm that I meditated upon years ago about a weaned child. I searched and found Psalm 131: 2: “Instead I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child, who no longer cries for its mothers milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me”. It dawned on me that my faith used to be immature, like a baby demanding, upset and controlling, wanting my needs and expectations met my way and in my time. Otherwise, I would cry in anxiety and turmoil. My faith has since become a calm and quiet trust in God during troubles and trials, matured and willing to wait patiently for God. I was pleased that that was how the Lord viewed me. Any mother would tell you how relieved and pleased they would feel when a child has moved on from mother’s milk on demand, to being totally weaned to a calm and quiet patience. I was happy that He was pleased with my growth.

During the retreat, I seem to be gifted with a garment of praise. My heart was bubbling with joy and I was praising God often. I often sang worship choruses, hummed a melody or sang in tongues. I did it in my room, while walking the labyrinth or the rail corridor. It was a relaxed, praise-filled, and joyful retreat.

Using the labyrinth

There are two labyrinths at Montfort Centre and they can be used in different ways. I walked the labyrinth before breakfast, or at sunset or at night, because these were the times it was not hot. I sometimes walked the labyrinth to converse or discuss a matter with the Lord, as I would with a friend on a hike. Other times, I walked it to express praise and adoration, and to sing in the Spirit, or to hum a hymn. Significantly, I once used the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” and had a touch from the Lord, a grace moment, when I felt contrition and confessed my pride, and acknowledged that I am but a graced person, who earned nothing, did not deserve anything, but that all had been given to me, all is gift.

One beautiful day with fair weather, I walked the rail corridor from Railway Mall to the newly done-up Bukit Timah Railway Station. It was a pleasant saunter with the Lord, taking in the sights and taking the occasional photograph. When I reached the Station, I simply sat and rested for a while, looking around at people taking photographs in empty carriages along old railway tracks preserved for ours and later generations to appreciate our history with Malaysia. There was a lovely café, but I was not prepared to pay $5.50 for a cappuccino. I did not walk back but took the train back from King Albert Park MRT station to Cashew.

Paint your feelings

The organizers had art materials available for any retreatant to use. Though not trained in art, I felt the urge to take some water colour paint and brushes to express my heart and I noticed that the colours and images I painted expressed my feelings appropriately. They were bright colours, intimate and celebratory images, and point to the joy, intimacy and gratitude I felt. They kind of summed up this retreat for me. Though it was part of the “course requirement”, it was very much a formational experience for me.

If you are interested to know why silence is important in prayer, click HERE.