Home
| Our Mission and Ministry | Our
Doctrinal Statement | Our Sectional Groups
& Ministries |
Becoming a Member| Scholarships
| Calendar of Events | Links
| Happenings | Resources
| Contact Us
Giving ourselves in service to CHURCH, STUDENTS and SOCIETY
Is Our Public Square Naked? By Richard Magnus
The Power of the Internet - What We Cannot Ignore By Dr Tan Tee Khoon
Marks of a True Christian: Romans 12 By Dr Steve Griffiths
The
Anatomy of a Calling
By Bishop Dr Robert Solomon
The Christian Response to the
Liberal Agenda
By Professor Dr.
Thio Li-ann
By
Richard Magnus
THE
ISSUES
Is
our public square naked? If naked, with what ‘fig leaves’ do we clothe
the nakedness? What is the Christian answer to this issue? Is Christianity
a civilisational religion? What are the choices: a theocratic public
square or a theonomous one, within the context of an heteronomous culture.
THE
SECULAR PUBLIC SQUARE
The
public square is an ideological space, a marketplace of ideas, values and
social and political policies. The Christian response is the biblical
narrative to life, an overarching story by which all the particulars of
the public square can be interpreted and is a centre to hold all things
together.
We
have chosen a social and political doctrine and practice that
excludesReligion, religiously grounded values or any notion of
transcendence from the conduct of public business. Our public square is
avowedly secular.
Social
analyst Os Guinness defines secularization as the “process by which
religious ideas, institutions, and interpretations have lost their social
significance.” A secularised world-view influences moral direction.
Peter Berger, the renowned sociologist and director of the Institute for
the Study of Economic Culture at Boston University, defines secularization
as the process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from
the domination of religious institutions and symbols.” He elaborates:
“When
we speak of society and institutions in modern western history, of course,
secularization manifests itself in the evacuation by the Christian
churches of areas previously under their control or influence as in the
separation of Church and State … or in the emancipation of education
from ecclesiastical authority. When we speak of culture and symbols,
however, we imply that secularization is more than a social-structural
process. It affects the totality of cultural life and of ideation, and may
be observed in the decline of religious content in the arts, in
philosophy, in literature and, most important of all, in the rise of
science as an autonomous, thoroughly secular perspective on the world.”
THE
PROPHETIC VOICE
It
is little wonder that wisdom cries out prophetically in the public
squares. In Proverbs 1: 20-22, 29-33:
“20
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the
public
squares; [ notice the plural]
21
She cries out in the chief place of concourse, in the
gateways of the city
she makes her speech:
22
How long, will you simple ones love your simple ways? How
long will
mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
29
Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the
LORD,
30
since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31they
will eat of the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their
schemes,
32For
the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools
will destroy them;
33but
whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of
harm.”
The
public square which was used to be the forum for the ethical and moral
discourse of the entire community, is now empty and naked because there is
no meaningful discussion taking place there. We do not need to use
first-order theological language in the public square, but we must appeal
to the
transcendence,
as we see in this Proverbs passage. Wisdom is intimately linked to
Yahwistic’s life and being. Wisdom is presented with as much more that
Yahwistic “common sense”. Wisdom is a differentiated agent of force
for life in the world.
THE
TERRAIN IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE
Our
safety and harm has been shakened to its core with recent events.
On
23 April 1995, a Japanese news crew filmed a murder in Tokyo. A young
Korean assassin, hired by Japanese mobsters,
murdered Murai Hideo,head of the science and technology division of
a Buddhist-inspired movement centred on the teachings of the blind
acupuncturist Asahara Shoko. Hideo had masterminded the atrocious sarin
attacks which killed 12 and injured 4000 on the Tokyo subway in March
1995.
It
seems quite bizarre that, in an environment characterised by universal
education and freedom of choice, people can commit themselves to religious
movements that perpetrate shocking acts at the command of charismatic
leaders. What motivates these people, often educated middle-class to adopt
obscure beliefs, to follow blindly even if it means losing their own lives
or liberty and depriving others of them?
Take
again the fatwa against Salam Rushdie, murdering in the name of peace, the
events of September 11, the Madrid and the London bombings, the Russian
massacre of school children, the persecutions of Christians, the attempted
destruction of airlines, the JI arrests here, new-age religion, in vitro
fertilization, the tsunamis, earthquakes, SARS, liberal social values, and
liberal Christian practices. They hit us at a time when intellectual and
moral responses to these tragic events and other social and ideological
developments are weaker, more controversial and more confused than they
have been for centuries.
To
crystallize, the issue is this event: on that September 11, a journalist
had asked Os Guinness on national public radio: “I saw a woman running
through the acrid smoke crying, God are you here?” What should I have
said to her?” That question is echoed in various cognate situations. The
point of life for the questioner is the search for the point of life. The
churches suddenly became full. People came expectantly, but somehow there
was nothing there.
That
moment was squandered. It is undeniable that the numbers of people
attending churches in Europe and the United States are generally falling.
Nevertheless, it is also very clear that beliefs and religious activities
are still thriving, often by assuming new forms – both dangerous and
benign. These beliefs and activities are emerging and adapting in ways
that are often felt to be relevant to the modern public square. From
peculiar cults to New Age spirituality to fundamentalism, it is very clear
that religious views remain a very active force. However much the public
squares may change outwardly, the Divine Idea just won’t die.
Needless
to say, these issues and questions are far older and have far wider
application. These events lay naked in our public square the two deepest
issues of human life: the raw evil of the inhumanity of humanity and the
agonizing place and reality of God. These two life issues raise piercing
questions which are placed before us. Darkness came into the light and
those in the light had not understood how to respond to it. Is it moral
arrogance and a false assumption that one can recreate the world in
one’s image? Should Christians assume the task of forming the ethos of
modern societies? Philip Yancey however observes ( 5 Feb 2001,
Christianity Today): “ As I travel, I have observed a pattern, a strange
historical phenomenon of God “moving” geographically from the Middle
East, to Europe to North America to the developing world. My theory is
this: God goes where He’s wanted.”
THE
FUNDAMENTAL IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT
Let
me now continue our conversation with two fables: both educative to the
point of life. The first is Hans Christian Henderson’s “The
Emperor’s New Clothes” and the other is Frederich Nietzche’s “The
Madman.” The latter impacts the public square of ideas; while the former
concerns a fundamental value or “wisdom” in an ordinary public square.
In both fables are lone voices, one of truth, one of deception and lies.
Which is our voice?
I
would, for our own discussion, re-title it “The Emperor’s New Clothes
for the Public Square”. There lived an emperor, whose ambition was to
dress his public square well. The great city where he resided was vibrant;
every day many talents from all parts of the globe arrived. One day two
purported experts came to this city. They made people believe that they
were experts in dressing up the public square, and declared they could
think of the finest plans for the city. They said their ideas were so
unique and ahead of its time with an almost eternal quality that it was
only discernible to those who was fit for his office.
The
emperor thought it would be wonderful to have a city which last for
generations and also be able to find out which men in the city were unfit
for their places. So he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in
advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time.
The
emperor wanted to know how they are getting on and sent two persons- his honest old and intelligent minister, and
later, an honest courtier to check on what the experts were doing. Both
could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. Yet, both told the
emperor that the plans were excellent. Everybody in the whole town talked
about the plans.
The
big day came. The emperor and all his statesmen then came to the hall. The
swindlers held their arms up as if they held the models in their hands and
said: “These are the plans! They must be seen with a discerning eye.
“Indeed!” said all the statesmen; but they could not see anything, for
there was nothing to be seen.
The
public officials who were to carry the models, stretched their hands to
the ground as if they lifted up a model, and pretended to hold something
in their hands; they did not like people to know that they could not see
anything.
“But
there is nothing on at all,” said a little voice at last. Listen to that
truthful voice,” said another, and one whispered to the other what the
little voice had said. “But he has no plans at all,” cried the whole
people at last.
That
made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they
were right; but he thought that he must bear up to the end. And the Public
Officers walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the models
which did not exist.
Man’s
knowledge is incomplete. It is not that his science is unimportant –
indeed, it is the most essential tool he has. But he must remember that it
is limited. To forget those limits is dangerous. Science will never quite
explain his personal existence. His search for the point of life must
continue.
That
point of life for Frederich Nietzshe was expressed in The Madman and
resonated with Hitler, Stalin and Pol- pot; and bequeathed the
polarization of the death of God movement. The idea of God’s
nonexistence now either explicity or implicity permeating almost every
major discipline in the public square and in secular universities. Several
universities envisioned as missionary schools are now testimonies of
atheism.
A
madman, who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the public
square and cried incessantly, “I’m looking for God!” Many of those
who did not believe in God were standing together there and laughed at
him. They asked whether God got lost or is he hiding or has he gone on a
voyage? The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his
glances.
“Whither
is God?” he cried. “I shall tell you. We have killed him –you and I.
All of us are his murderers. But how have we done this? Do we not hear
anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we
not smell anything yet of God’s decomposition? God is dead. And we have
killed him. How shall we, the murderers of all
murderers,
comfort ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we
have to invent? Here the madman fell silent and
they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he
threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke and went out.
On
the same day, the madman entered diverse churches and there sang his
requiem. Led out and called to account, he is said to have replied each
time, “What are these churches not if they are not the tombs and
sepulchers of God?
Nietszhe
made popular the death of God movement, which shifted the ideological
public square everywhere. More than we like to admit, we are, by and
large, listeners and bystanders now. We often know enough to know that is
better not to know more.
For
instance, we know that far more people in the world suffer today under the
heel of grinding evils that are numbingly ordinary and will never make the
newspaper headlines or the television news. Few of us, for example, give
serious thought to the millions of young girls forced into prostitution,
to the women abused by their husbands, or to the millions of families kept
for a lifetime in bonded slavery.
We
must be observant of God’s sovereign intervention in history.
When
tsunamis and earthquakes and September 11 struck, and the list of events
goes on, the whole world was hearing with their eyes. Archbishop Janani
Luwum of Uganda, beset by atrocities said: “Do not be afraid. I see
God’s hand in this.”
OUR
VOICE
Each
of us is responsible for our part. In the global public square, we are our
neighbour’s neighbour. In a bureaucracy, we are never helpless pawns but
responsible agents who will have to give an account of ourselves to one
who is higher than any boss. As Soren Kierkegaard wrote, the significance
of the Christian faith for society “ought to be to do everything to make
every man eternally responsible for every hour he lives, even for the
least thing he undertakes.”
Those
with more – wider social influence, higher intelligence, better health,
fatter bank balances, stronger friendships and family ties or greater
energy – are responsible for more. To be sure we are only responsible
for what is ours to give and say and do. None of us is without
responsibility.
There
was one voice , a one-man dissident whose works from the heart of Gulag
helped blew away the might of Soviet tyranny. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the
Nobel Laureate knew a truth both deeper and more liberating. In the Gulag
Archipelago he writes: “It was only when I lay there on the rotting
prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good.
Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil
passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political
parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human
hearts.”
We
must acknowledge the evil in our own hearts and take full responsibility
for the evil we find there and its consequences; a response which is
characteristic realism and responsibility.
In
his 1970 Nobel address, Alexander Solzhenitsyn pins this view as follows:
“Let
us not forget that violence does not and cannot flourish by itself; it is
inevitably intertwined with lying…Whoever has announced violence as his
method must inevitably choose lies as his principle…The simple act of an
ordinary courageous man is not to take part, not to support lies! Let the
lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me.”
Albert
Einsten wrote: “The world is too dangerous to live in – not because of
people who do evil, but because of people who sit and let it happen.” We
may well be a minority. In this regard Paul is inspirational. Acts 17:
16-32 tells the story: “…he was greatly distressed to see that the
city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the [public square] day by day
with those who happened to be there…Paul…said: ”Now what you worship
as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you”…Some of them
sneered, but others said “We want to hear you again on this subject”
…A few…believed.”
How
naked is the public square? When the Times of London once asked several of
Britain’s leading intellectuals what they thought was the problem with
the world, the celebrated Catholic journalist G.K. Chesterton sent back a
postcard response : “I am.” Archbishop
Desmond Tutu said in the social context he was in : “Be nice to whites,
they need you to rediscover their humanity.”
THE
CENTRE HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER
Against
the secular public square is the following narratives. Gen 3: 7-10 brings
our attention to a foundational nakedness in the public square of
humanity:
“Then
the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;
so they sewed [ideologies] together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD GOD…in the [the
public square of humankind], and they hid from the LORD GOD among [their
worldview].
But
the LORD GOD called to [every man] “Where are you?” [The man] answered
“I heard you in [my public square] and I was afraid because I was naked;
so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?” Have you
eaten from the [secular] tree [of knowledge]?
In
another public square of history two pivotal events took place. There was
a different darkness and a distinct nakedness: of evident sin, and evil;
overcome by a naked man nailed crucified for all humanity: “darkness
came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped
shining. Jesus cried out in a loud voice “Eloi. Eloi, lama sabachthani?”
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” and later “It is
finished.”
Another
critical event- before Jesus was taken out to heaven, He left us with an
inheritance: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the world.” (Matt 28:18)
We
can recover the mythos of Jesus’ kenosis; because of his emptying, God
had raised Him up. In our public square “ to find one’ self, one must
lose one’s self. Whether we look backward or forward in history, we can
see that time and again, Christianity demonstrates a breathtaking ability
to transform weakness into strength. The nakedness of the public square is
the nakedness of our heart. In the beginning was not a public square, much
less a secular or a sectarian one. In the beginning was the WORD who
pitched his tent in the public square. “After this I looked, and there
before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in
front of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:9).
This
talk was given at the GRADUATES' CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Thanksgiving
Dinner on 15 September 2006 at The Pines
The Power of the Internet - What We Cannot Ignore
By Dr Tan Tee Khoon
Internet awareness is of utmost importance because it is our youths who are making it so popular. The Net is a way of life for the great majority of them and succeeding generations will consider the world some of us grew up in-without modems and instant messages-crusty as the Stone Age. The Net is fast becoming the way youths communicate.
Thus, if we wish to stay on their wavelength, it is imperative that we keep up with the language. It is said that people 24 years and older use the Internet as a tool but people below 24, use it as a way of life. The Internet is fast becoming central to the way people in general communicate, access information, and find entertainment. Youths, in particular, are using the Internet to strengthen their peer groups, build trans-geographic and consumer communities.
So the Internet is not a mere keyboard-driven, text-oriented medium. In fact with the broadening of the bandwidth - which is already making the Internet viable for both audio and video - it is turning into the first truly multimedia medium overnight. Over the next few years, the Internet will become the major source for news, especially audio and video clips that consumers can download at their own pace. It will be, in essence, news on demand.
Large corporations are now figuring out that-if they can create popular Web sites that appear to give power to youths by offering them a voice on the sites themselves-they can co-opt youth culture by directing teens to the companies' interests.
That is why the next wave of youth-oriented Web sites will contain massive space for young people to interact with, comment on, and critique youth culture. But this is always in the context of new products that claim to be "the answer" to boredom, inferiority, unhappiness, and all of the problems of adolescence. Record companies are starting to get savvy, too, by offering digital freebies to create demand for new musical groups. They just give fans a space to say what they like or don't like, and that helps bring them back to the site to follow up the conversation...and ultimately to buy products. It is amazing that the Internet started as a non-commercial medium. Now all the media outlets are proclaiming the greatness of e-commerce, and these sites are looking for youths to buy from them-not because youths have more money, but because youths spend a much higher percentage of their money than adults.
Our Youths Online - The Hard Facts
It is clear also that the Internet is reorganising community life for many people. On the home front, data shows that although parents are more concerned than ever about their children's Internet usage, they are still giving even their youngest children free rein over it. You may think that is odd and the reasons for this may surprise you.
Most Internet blocking software does not work very well, and kids are smart enough to figure out how to get past it. In addition, parents are increasingly busy in a booming economy and are not spending enough time nurturing their children's Internet habits. It is very hard to find a household where parents have decided to get rid of the computer. In fact, more people have computers at home now than yesteryears-and are working from home. About 78 per cent of households have at least one PC, and of these 38 per cent have two PCs. The computer has become a consumer appliance that now elicits very much the same reaction from parents as television once did-parents just threw up their hands, gave up, and started watching too. Nearly 85 per cent of all teens 10-14 years of age are online. These figures are part of Infocomm Development Authority's (IDA) recent survey in 2006.
Another local survey of 80 youths aged between 13-20 years old was carried out in late 2005. Of these 80 youths, 46 per cent were females and 54 per cent males. 71 per cent were single and 29 per cent attached. 89 per cent of them were students while 11 per cent were young working adults. The respondents were also grouped according to their religious affiliation. 40 percent are Buddhist and 35 per cent are free thinkers followed by Christians (including Catholics) who formed 24 per cent of those surveyed.
Most respondents spend a considerable amount of time using the Internet. · 41 per cent of the respondents use the Internet for at least 30 to 50 hours per week. This averages to around 5 hours a day. · 16 per cent use the Internet for more than 50 hours per week but fewer than 100 hours. · 15 per cent use the Internet more than 100 hours a week. This averages to around 14 hours a day. The sample size may not be as large as that of IDA's massive survey last year of 2500 households and 2810 persons (see full report at http://www.ida.gov.sg/Publications/20061130175201.aspx) but IDA's survey does not disagree with this earlier research cited. The IDA survey further elaborates on the types of activities teens 10-14 years in particular engage in while they are online and these exclude educational activities - 60 per cent on sending or receiving emails, 42 per cent on instant messaging, 27 per cent on creating social networks and 33 per cent in chat rooms. Also, a high percentage of 25 per cent in downloading or listening to music online and 58 per cent in playing or downloading video games. Only 12 per cent on creation of blogs though this is likely to increase. The Singapore Internet Research Centre survey mentioned earlier also highlighted a major concern: that of encountering pornographic material online. 89 per cent of the respondents said that they have had experiences of encountering pornographic material online and the majority are males. But we should not be concerned with the Internet only because of the prospect of youths being exposed to pornographic material. Of course, the statistic is staggering. Yet it is far more important for us to understand the youth psyche or reasons why the Internet is a significant means of communication for them.
The Hype - Why Youths Are Drawn To Cyberspace
Let me suggest at least three reasons why the Gen-N (N for Net) is so hyped about the Net:
Firstly, the youths today do not have any experience with pre-Internet societies. To them, the Net is a normative and even primary means of communication. They will not agree with the criticism that the Net is an electronic but impersonal medium to build relationships. On the contrary, it is in the chat rooms-and through the use of instant messaging-that de facto youth groups are created every evening, all over the world. Countless teens who share common interests are forging relationships through these incredibly open chats about deeply personal matters such as sexuality, for instance and it is peer- oriented, not hierarchical.
They enjoy a sense of freedom not impeded by institutional rules or restrictions which means they can be bolder to bare their feelings online, they can be very truthful about who they are and they will initiate online discussions what they may be embarrassed to do in person. Besides, many of them find the self-esteem they lack in person when they assume a heroic identity or prominent character in Net gaming.
In a Singapore Internet Research Centre survey on the Ethics of Blogging, the researchers found that the main reason for blogging was to "express thoughts and feelings" and the content most blogged about was "events in the blogger's life".
Secondly, youths are most active and open later in the evening-after the hours that most adults would not be awake! But most youths are not allowed to hang out with each other late into the night, every day of the week.
However, with the Internet, this sort of activity is possible and there is practically no curfew. For the youths who are part of these online groups, it will be almost as if they live in a never-ending world-sharing and caring for each other in cyberspace. They stay connected.
Thirdly, youths today are a questioning lot. Their insatiable pursuit for knowledge and for satisfying answers, take them to the Internet where they hope search engines will help them meet their needs in the shortest possible time. Besides, youths do not readily confide in adults especially if they view them as giving stereotypical, predictable responses. Moreover, they no longer accept the adults' word for it just because a more senior person says so. The Internet provides a very viable and speedy platform where their queries or desires can be met.
I believe churches have begun to realise this and their youth ministry landscape has changed accordingly. For sure, youth workers and even pastors will have to get Internet-savvy enough if they wish to relate or connect with Gen-N and younger. They need to know that culture.
For that matter, youth workers are finding that the Net is the best imaginable source of information on youth culture and trends. Before the Internet, there was essentially no place one could go to research the latest music, films or TV shows in a timely manner-and with some critical discourse. Most of the available information was just one-way and consumer-oriented. But with the Internet, it is far easier for youth workers to stay on top of youth culture.
Youth workers are also able to organise communication among youth group members to facilitate discussion, prayer, and help-anytime of the day or night. One youth worker shared with me that he has been able to connect deeper with his youths through the Net and ministry time just expanded.
At the same time, churches can leverage on the expertise of their techno-savvy youths. This might include letting youths design and maintain church Web sites, do online research for pastoral staffs-even collect examples and illustrations from the Internet. Clearly, the youth ministry and outreach can benefit from the Internet as well.
Then there is Net-evangelism. Youth ministries that equip their students to reach out online are going to be successful. But teens need basic understanding of the dos and don'ts regarding helping others who are going through difficult times-and a sense of propriety about direct evangelism. Hard-core, online evangelism is generally counterproductive-for the same reasons that hard-core, face-to-face evangelism is counterproductive: People see it as a kind of spamming - a spiritual hit-and-run. Net evangelism needs to be relational and receiver sensitive, focused on others' heartfelt needs. This kind of evangelism has tremendous potential online! The key is to give people space. Let them say "no" and still be friends.
The Dangers - Why Even Youth Ministry Workers and Leaders Must Beware
Having said that, there are certainly dangers in the use of the Internet and it is not porn alone that poses a threat.
Firstly, what youth workers must keep in mind is that Christianity is not the only belief system being shared online. A whole lot of "isms" are being preached on the Net like racism and sexism. Even terrorism is being propagated through the Net.
I would liken the growth of the Internet to the time when God gave Adam the ability to name the animals - essentially, the ability to define reality. That is what the Net does. It gives human beings with access to computers the power to create their own versions of reality.
So we must be cautious, because the Internet exists for all these contesting cultures and worldviews that are attempting to define reality. Our young people are growing up in the midst of this cacophony that looks and sounds like Babel!
Secondly, online communication is like a conversation on an airplane. People will bare their souls because there is little to no consequence of what they say - there is anonymity, and they assume the relationship ends when the conversation does. The danger of online communication is that people are a lot more likely to form inauthentic relationships-almost like acting or taking on a persona, playing a role. At the same time, some people will be extremely open and honest. Thus, it is hard to truly know which camp a person is in-and it is also very shortsighted to judge young peoples' emotional or spiritual states only on the basis of what they say online.
The bottom line is that if youth workers who communicate online with their youths also have good communication with them in person, it will help eclipse artificiality and leverage the openness for real ministry. Among the biggest dangers I see with youth ministry and the Internet is the greater likelihood that youth workers will form improper relationships with members of their youth groups. It is not uncommon even before the Net-but now with Internet activity, it is becoming more and more widespread. The odds increase. That is why youth workers who are forging online relationships with teens, need mentors and accountability groups.
At the same time, youth workers have to be aware of their youths' online relationships with other youths too, many of whom assume only a net identity!
Thirdly, history is filled with ironies-and we are living in the midst of one of the great ironies of this century. People living in the high-tech world are experiencing a thirst for high-touch communication.
You see, in an Internet world, people are more likely to feel alienated and lonely-and beneath it all, they desire strong interpersonal relations to overcome their anxiety and fears about life. Ironically, they look to the Internet as the answer, as the thing that would help them connect-but the Internet is not able to truly satisfy their needs.
For example, I believe that the incredible popularity of Internet pornography among young males is a symptom of deep, spiritual desires for intimacy. I believe that all human communication ultimately represents a human drive to recapture communion with the Creator. So the Internet-because it lacks the ability to fully connect people in that way-is actually increasing people's felt need to reach out and commune with others. That is why we find Internet growth coinciding with the growth of coffee places around the world.
Conclusion - Online and Offline Care
I believe that because of the Internet, relational youth ministry is going to explode in the coming years, with young people looking for authentic relationships - with each other, with adults, and with God. Youth ministry is going to find the next decade a real boom time, driven by the inadequacy of the electronic media - and especially the Internet - to meet real, felt needs.
Ministry to youths without the Internet is a major liability today-but the Internet alone as a ministry tool is insufficient and downright dangerous. The most effective ministry blends the Net with strong interpersonal, relational communication. When we hinge our entire ministry on the Net, we may end up with only ghosts and shadows-youths who do not really exist. Or we are hurting real youths because we have not bothered to connect with them offline.
This talk was given at the GCF's Contemporary Issues Ministry Forum on "Youth and Internet" on 27 March at Metro YMCA.
Marks of a True Christian: Romans 12
By Dr Steve Griffiths
On the night of the 14 July, 2005 in northern Kenya, an old priest was walking home through the darkness at the end of his working day. Out of the gloom appeared three men who, according to the news reports, "executed him by shooting him in the head and throat". They disappeared into the night. He was 77, much loved and respected. Thousands came to his funeral. At first, it was thought that members of one ethnic group caught up in a dispute had shot him. The priest had been trying to mediate between these two groups to reduce tensions. But sadly, the reality was much more mundane. In September 2005, his alleged killer was arrested. It turned out to be a fellow priest, who had killed his colleague in a dispute over the control of church money. This was not an attack on the church from the outside but a dispute on the inside.
How tragic when a churchman settles the disagreement with another over control of money by murder. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Bit hollow, isn't it? Of course we could always say: "Well that man wasn't a true Christian". So how do we know if we are acting as Jesus would? What are the marks of a true Christian?
Introduction
The letter of Romans was written to the church already existing in Rome. We must not imagine a large building with hundreds of Christians coming and going. We need to forget St Peter's and the Vatican! Chapter 16 gives us a better picture of what the Roman church was like- a number of small groups in houses where Christians gathered for worship, prayer, teaching and communion. There were possibly around a hundred Christians or so in a city of at least a million. Paul hoped to use the Roman Church as a springboard to get to Spain and so he dictated this letter to Tertius during the early days of AD 57.
Three years after writing this letter, Paul did reach Rome but not in the way he expected. He went as a prisoner, was held under house arrest to two years and then … probably died outside the walls of Rome, beheaded at a spot along the road to Ostia. We are grateful that even though Paul never went to Spain, he started to plan the trip and so he wrote this great letter. I have three points which I would like to bring out for this passage for us to think about. 1. A living sacrifice 2. Living together in Jesus 3. Living alongside the world for Jesus
1. A living sacrifice (v1-8)
In the first part of Romans (1 to 11), Paul began with God's righteousness, went on to describe the way that all men and women have fallen away from God into a universal idolatry, disobedience and sin. This has corrupted the whole of the good created order around us, bringing brokenness and suffering. Paul talks about God's rescue plan for a world characterised by disobedience through and through. God worked within the world to save the world. Having made a good world, this would seem the appropriate way to work. The plan involved calling some of His creatures, although sinful, to work through and set the context for God's own coming onto the stage of human history in the person of Jesus to bear the world's sin. The result was that we could be right with God through faith not good deeds. All human effort and pride was humbled. Mercy - rather than reward - was available for all.
"Therefore," says Paul, "in view of this master plan, this mercy plan I have just explained, you need to respond with practical thanksgiving." We need to note that this chapter is not a checklist to tick off our good deeds, which will earn us a reward with God. Paul has been at great pains to show us that salvation is ours as a gift and we can do nothing to earn it. He is saying here that the proper response to the great gift of God is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, is worship - not to attempt to try again to earn favour with God. Do we think that we worship God in some sort of abstract, mystical way?
All too often as evangelicals we talk about "giving our hearts to God". Paul said something that would have shocked and stunned his Greek hearers who saw the body not as something good but as the prison of the soul. Our spiritual act of worship is to offer our bodies - not in a temple court or in a church building but in our homes, in our marriages, in our hospitals and clinics, in our clubs. Offer our bodies as a spiritual act of worship. Our worship of God is not an inward mystical thing but an outward practical thing. It is not a dead sacrifice, something that is offered once only but a living sacrifice.
Day after day, by what we do with our bodies, we either praise and worship God or we do not. Our lips are to speak the truth and the gospel, our hands to lift up the fallen, to change a catheter, to type a letter, to remove an appendix, our arms to embrace the unlovely and unloved, our ears to listen to the cries of the distressed and our eyes to look on what is pure and look patiently and humbly to God.
I am sure you know the problem with a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice keeps crawling off the altar! Paul knows that our daily mundane life is difficult to keep on offering to God so look at what he says next. The apostle Paul saw world history as being divided into two parts, this present age and the age to come. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, the age to come has broken in to this present evil age. So we need to stop the world dictating to us and we need to set the terms!
When Paul says, "the world", he does not mean the created world which God made and called good. He means the world of attitudes and actions, which are in opposition to God. What are those wrong attitudes and actions? As medical people in Singapore, we live and work in a certain culture and world-view. Paul does not mean that we reject everything of our culture and world view but he wants us to think through everything with renewed minds. Some things may be compatible with being a Christian. Others are not. · The world says to look out for number one. Jesus says to look out for the least of these. · The world says to spend time with those who can help you advance. Jesus says to spend time with the poor who can do nothing to make you more successful or reach your goals. · The world says that the one with the most toys wins. Jesus says the one with treasure stored in heaven wins. · The world says get even and exact revenge. Jesus says to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. · The world is fearful of disease, the future, the economy. Jesus says to not worry about tomorrow. · The world says to build your financial security and you will be happy. Jesus says to build on the solid rock of trust in Him alone. · The world evaluates us by our title, power, and position. Jesus evaluates us by our fruit.
How can these different ideas be reconciled? There is no chance of compromise here. There is no middle ground. There is a negative and positive here, a refusal to conform to the world's pressures and a positive allowing ourselves to know God's transforming power in our minds. Our minds can be renewed by the Word of God. As we consider the New Year how about committing to memory not just the Krebs cycle, not just the latest cytotoxic regime, but commit to memory the Word of God?
We also need the Holy Spirit's help with our twisted minds, not to conform to the standard of the world, not to be squeezed into its mould, but rather to know the transforming power of God in the way we think. We are challenged not to be a chameleon, which takes its colour from its surroundings but rather to bring God's colour into our surroundings. We are not to live two different lives.
Recently, we were in Taiwan and were told of the burgeoning foetus ghost situation. There is now a massive cottage industry in helping women to be free of guilt they feel after abortion. When trouble comes into their lives, they are being diagnosed as attacks by the ghost of the foetus they aborted. People are spending huge amounts of time and money to be free from the power of the foetus ghost. In Taiwan, Christians are disproportionately represented among the middle and upper classes, especially in the medical field. Is there a Christian voice among Taiwanese Christian doctors speaking out against the abortion industry? What will be the tough issues facing Singaporean Christian health professionals in the near future? What will we need to be counter-cultural on?
Paul tells us our renewed minds need to begin to think of ourselves as we should. We are created, have fallen, and are redeemed. We should be without arrogance and without disdain as we think of ourselves. We need to think of ourselves with sober judgement as part of the fellowship of God's people. Being loved by God is quite special enough without thinking that our skills or our family connections make us more special.
In Zimbabwe, 20 years ago, we had many North Koreans who came to assist with development. Korean instructors helped to train a new brigade of Zimbabwe's army. They also brought with them magazines about the government of North Korea. I was fascinated to read about Kim Il Sung, "the great leader". Everywhere he went, he gave "on the spot guidance" to everyone. Building a new dam? Kim Il Sung was there to give on the spot guidance to architects, engineers, labourers, electricians and interior designers. Developing a new university course? Kim Il Sung was there to give on the spot guidance to the dean, lecturers, scientists and students. The man was omniscient!
As well as thinking too highly of ourselves, there may be some of us who have a very low opinion of ourselves. But the renewed mind is a humble mind, not thinking too highly or too lowly of ourselves. We may differ in skills, in our gifts but our value to God is the same. We are priceless, not from any intrinsic worth of our own but because of the value that God has placed on us.
Paul reminds us to avoid individualistic thinking - we grow and mature together. Mark Dever in his book "Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" talks about a friend who worked with a campus Christian ministry. On Sundays, he would slip into church after the hymns, sit there for the sermon and then slip out again because he did not get anything out of the rest of the service. Mark said to him: "Have you ever thought of joining the church?" He responded: "Why would I join the church? I think they would just slow me down spiritually." Mark said: "Have you ever thought that maybe God wants you to link arms with those people, and that even though they might slow you down a little, you might help to speed them up - and that is part of God's plan for how we're supposed to live as Christians together."
We measure ourselves by God's gospel and by God's gifts. The gifts Paul lists are service, teaching, encouragement, leadership, giving money and acts of mercy - not usually seen as spiritual! These gifts are not primarily about the benefit to the giver. They are given so we can give in turn to build the fellowship of God's people.
2. Living together in Jesus (v 9-13)
All too often, belonging to a church is like belonging to a hobby group or a club. We go to it because we find people of a similar background, social class, race, or education level. If it isn't there, we shop around until we find a church that suits us, that has enough people like us. The problem with uniformity, with all being the same is that there is absolutely nothing supernatural about that. We are not bound together by Jesus despite our differences but we are bound together by what we naturally have in common. That is no kind of sign to the world at all - it confirms the thought that the church is just another hobby group.
In our right relationship with other Christians, Paul tells us firstly to love without hypocrisy, without stage-acting. Why doesn't Paul say "love must be great" or "love must be kind"? All too often as we deal with our fellow-believers we think "How will this make me look?" We need to develop self-forgetfulness in serving one another. We are not to make much of ourselves as we love but we are to make much of Jesus. We will be set free from the bondage of seeking the praise of men. "Let love be without hypocrisy" is really a command to know, love and find our satisfaction in Jesus so that we do not crave the praise of men any more.
We often sing and say, "Love is blind" Here Paul talks about love and hate right next to each other. True love is not blind but always morally discerning. As we love people we loathe what is evil and we cling like glue to what is good. Now just let me highlight verse 10 for a minute. We have a choice between selfish ambition and serving others. The world and the church are full of go-getters and status-seekers hungry for prestige, always longing to be known as the best, aggressively ambitious for their own honour. But here is the perspective of a renewed mind. Paul says we should not compete to get honour but we should compete to show honour.
We are to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. This week, I heard a story about Changi Prison from a regular visitor. He was told by one of the prisoners that he had cried that week as he had only cried once before, when his father died. The prisoner had been in the prison chapel with some other prisoners when through the door, came a group of senior prison officials. The officials knelt on the floor, "and then the Deputy Director of the Singapore Prison Service washed my feet. I sobbed like a baby along with all my fellow prisoners. The believing prison guards showed me they were really my brothers." Do we make real friends with Christians who are of lower social status than us? How do we as Christians treat fellow Christians where we work? How do we treat Christian nurses, cleaners, porters, and administrative staff in the places where we work? Do we know which of them are believers? Do we know their names?
You know what Jesus says about the result not of our uniformity but of our Christian unity? In all our diversity of race, culture, thought, music, status, intellectual ability…..we are to be united so that what? So that the world may believe that God sent Jesus. Are you stunned by that? Jesus says that when we live in unity, that is evangelism. We demonstrate that God really does exist and that Jesus really did rise from the dead. What we say from the pulpit, in our Bible studies, in our prayer groups must be confirmed by our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ in the hospital, surgery and university and research unit.
The biggest barrier to the Word of God is not outdated methods or poor presentation. It is the reality of life in our Christian communities. We gossip, trample each other insensitively and are bitter about past slights. We do not forgive each other, put ourselves first and are jealous of one another. Do our relationships enhance the words we speak…or do they contradict them? Our words of good news must be backed up by lives of good news. We cannot have one without the other. Men are always looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men…and women.
3. Living alongside the world for Jesus (v 14-21)
In Cambodia, there is a cultural concept of kum, disproportionate revenge. You must take revenge and do it in such a way that people will never think of trying counter-revenge. This was graphically shown us when a neighbour had a dispute with a clothes seller because the neighbour had not paid a debt. The neighbour was embarrassed by the clothes-seller because of the public dispute. Her revenge was to go around to the clothes shop one evening and hurl a hand-grenade into the shop. The shop was burned down, the family concerned lost their livelihood and nearly their lives. Revenge was a terrible escalation of the situation. It added to evil.
Finally, we are to live in right relationship with our enemies -you might find this surprising. True Christians living in right relationship to God, understanding themselves and in good relationships with other Christians will have enemies. Why do I say this? We will have enemies: because of the stumbling block of the cross (it is offensive to say salvation is free and unmerited), because of the love and purity of Jesus (which shames human selfishness), because of the priority commands to love God and neighbour (no room for self-love) and the call to take up the cross (which is far too threatening to comfort and security).
In our relationship with our enemies, it is not retaliation that we seek but service. It is not cursing but blessing. As we avoid revenge and do the loving thing towards our enemies, we "heap burning coals" on their heads, we fill them with shame. Sometimes through our actions, enemies become friends but even if they do not, revenge is not for us but should be left to God. We are not overcome with evil but we overcome evil with good.
The Amish people, found in the United States, are a deeply religious people, who live simply and dressed plainly. Recently, there was a horrific shooting of five Amish girls at school. The gunman rounded up the girls, tied them up, placed his revolver against their heads and pulled the trigger. He then killed himself. It was a horrible evil act which shocked the world. But then something else happened, which shocked the world too. The grieving Amish parents came together to offer forgiveness to the killer's family. They also shared money that the public had given with the killer's wife so that she would be able to care for her own children. Love your enemies. Overcome evil with good. What does this mean for you?
Conclusion
Chapter 12 is about radical transformation of all our relationships - obeying God, understanding ourselves, loving one another and serving our enemies. But I want to leave you with a key verse for this rededication service. You are welcome to forget everything else but remember this verse as we go together into this New Year. We are to be joyful in hope -- two wonderful words. Joy replaces bitterness, sinfulness, laziness, greed.
In what is our joy? In God who made this beautiful world who redeemed it from its fall in us, and who is coming back to restore it and renew our physical bodies. We are to be patient in affliction. Affliction is where we live as Christian believers. We are to set our timer for the long run. Jesus is with us in our affliction. And then we are to be faithful or constant in prayer. This does not mean constantly in prayer so much as it means to make time, to be regular, to build it in to the working day. As we as Christian medical professionals go on our way, may we know joy in the future hope that we have, patience in whatever may come our way and a growing relationship with God in prayer.
This message was given at the CMDF's Re-dedication Service on 26 January 2007 at Wesley Methodist Church
The
Anatomy of A Calling
By Bishop Dr Robert Solomon
From young I had wanted to
be a doctor. I was born into a Christian family and was baptised on
Christmas Day when I was less than a year old. It was my privilege to
grow up attending church, being part of the Sunday School, and to learn
about the Christian faith. In my first few years, I did not know any
other religion except Christianity.
When I was about six or seven years old, I had an interesting
experience, which to me is significant. One night I dreamt (or was it a
vision?) that I was with some other children circling around Jesus, who
was seated on a rock. He called me by name and when I approached Him, He
showed me His scarred hands and asked me with great tenderness, “Do
you know who this is for?” I replied: “It is for me.” Perhaps, my
Sunday school classes had done a good job in creating some early
understanding of Jesus. But that mystical experience stayed in my memory
as a special encounter with Jesus.
My days in school were very memorable, growing up in a
Singapore different from what it is today. I have many lasting
impressions of our island and its people. At the age of 16, I had some
life-changing experiences. I attended a specially organised series of
evening rallies in church. The speaker gave an altar call and I felt a
pull in my heart. But I did not go to the front, wondering what people
would think. After all, I had been in church for such a long time. Being
a shy person, I stayed rooted to my seat till the end of the service.
On my way home in the bus, my spirit was in a different
world. My surroundings faded into insignificance as my thoughts and
emotions became very focused and I was keenly aware of the presence of
God. When I reached home, I went into my room and knelt in prayer. I
poured out my heart to God, confessing my sins and committing my life to
Christ. It was as if the windows of heaven were opened and my soul was
drenched with the peace and joy of God. I went to sleep and woke to a
new dawn. I remember taking note that everything seemed different that
day.
Soon, I was reading the Bible with renewed interest. I began
to read my Bible every day, marking it with comments and underlining
verses. I had found a new and open channel of communication with God.
It was in the same year I had to decide what I was going to
do for my pre-university studies. In secondary school, I found an
aptitude for mathematics and physics and began to develop a keen
interest in cosmology, astronomy, and aeronautics. My school gave me a
form to fill, to select the particular stream I wanted to enroll in for
my pre-university class. I could choose engineering, arts, pure
sciences, or pre-medicine. It was then I realised I was not sure what to
do.
Keenly aware I wanted to do God’s will and not to miss His
plan for my life, I earnestly sought to discover God’s direction for
my life. I tried to get some answers from my Bible-reading but found
none there regarding my future studies. I felt as if God was
deliberately silent on this matter. I asked God to show me clearly what
He wanted me to do, committing myself to obey Him. The deadline for
submitting the form approached very quickly. I still had no indication
what I should do.
God
spoke
It was at this time I had another strange experience. I was
sleeping at night when I was suddenly awakened by a male voice in my
room, and yet there was no one else in the room. The voice said:
“Robert, after your Secondary Four, go and study medicine.” The
words kept ringing in my mind and I felt God had spoken clearly and
showed me the way. I then filled up the form and submitted it. I was
soon in the pre-medical class and spent two years preparing myself for
medical school. My parents were very happy for me and encouraged me
greatly.
I entered medical school with great excitement. However, in
my second year of studies, my heart began to be troubled. There was an
emerging thought within me that God was asking me to quit medical school
and enter into full-time Christian service. I thought it was a stray
thought but it became stronger by the day. One day, it came to the point
that I could not attend lectures. I asked one of my friends whether I
could borrow his hostel room so I could spend the time praying. That
afternoon, I was in that room on my knees. I pleaded with God to tell me
clearly again. I struggled with Him and myself and stayed on my knees
for some hours.
What would my parents say? What would others think? What am I
going to do if I quit medical school? What was God trying to do with me?
Why did He ask me to study medicine and then expect me to pull out
halfway? These and other questions were laid out at God’s feet that
afternoon. After much struggle, I came to the point when I completely
surrendered myself to God. I was willing to do anything the Lord asked
me to, even if it failed to make sense to me. It was after this I had a
strange peace in my heart. I got up from my knees, aware that God was
with me and that He would guide me.
Passing
the test
The next day, I was on my way to see the Dean of the Medical
Faculty to tell him I was going to quit my studies. On my way, I met a
Christian houseman whom I knew. He asked me how I was and we got into a
conversation. I told him what was happening and what I planned to do. He
seemed to understand what I was saying and we talked about it for a
while and prayed together. He then told me he felt God was not calling
me to quit medical studies to enter full-time studies but that He was
testing my availability, whether I was prepared to go wherever God
wanted me to go. I had “passed” the test.
We prayed at the steps of the Medical Faculty College
Building and I realised what he was saying made sense. God was not
asking me to quit medical school, but He wanted to make sure that
medicine and a medical career would never become idols in my life.
I never made it to the Dean’s office, and my parents had no
inkling of what I had gone through. I continued my medical studies but
somehow I knew I was not going to carry a stethoscope around my neck all
my life.
My time in medical school ended on a successful note and I
was soon working as a houseman. It was a great and memorable experience.
During that year, I was encouraged by some of my professors to take up
orthopaedic surgery or cardiology. Part of my housemanship was spent in
an orthopaedic department and in the intensive care unit. Since both
fields interested me, I was not sure what the future would be.
Then came National Service, a stint in an army camp as a
medical officer, and another stint working in a polyclinic and the
Accident & Emergency unit at Alexandra Hospital. The last posting
was especially interesting to me and I learned very quickly, having to
spend many busy nights attending to patients as the only medical officer
on duty.
Two
calls, one decision
When my bond with the government was coming to an end, I
remembered the voice I heard several years ago. The voice had said:
“…Go and study medicine.” I had done that and consequently served
my bond too. Was I also to go on to practice medicine, I wondered? It
was time to seek God’s directions afresh. And so, I found myself
praying earnestly over a two-week period for God’s direction. This
time I did not hear a voice but through my Bible reading and prayer, I
felt God speaking clearly in my heart. The time had come for me to enter
full-time Christian ministry. By that time I was married, and so when I
became convinced of God’s call, I prepared myself to share this with
my wife, Malar. I was not sure what she would say, but after I had told
her, she remained calm and told me God had also called her in the
preceding weeks. She was working as a teacher then. We realised God had
called each of us separately, and had prepared us for our joint
decision.
It was then easy for us to quit our jobs and offer ourselves
for full-time service. We were soon on our way to the Philippines for me
to do my Master of. Divinity studies. We did not know how we were going
to finance ourselves. I had sold my car and the church gave us a small
gift to help us. That was all we had. On the plane to Manila, I wondered
how we were going to make it. God then showed me 1 Thessalonians 5:24:
“The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” I had
God’s assurance, then, on the plane that he would take care of my
family. With God’s help, I was able to complete my course earlier than
expected and at the end of my studies, I sat down to calculate how much
I had spent in Manila. I found to my surprise God had provided exactly
what we needed, not a single dollar more or less. God kept His promise
marvelously.
Gift
of teaching
When we returned to Singapore, we were interested to serve as
missionaries, particularly in Indonesia. I was not thinking of serving
as a medical missionary, though that would have made sense to many.
Several key people in my life were used by God to tell me God’s
primary gift to me for ministry was the gift of teaching. One of them
was Dr Benjamin Chew. I was therefore interested in serving as a
theological educator or a Bible teacher since, by then, I was ordained
as a Methodist minister and had served as a pastor of a Tamil church.
During this period of waiting for a missionary opportunity, I
did various other things. I served as the first medical officer at the
newly-opened Singapore Red Cross Blood Centre. After this, I served
part-time in the Singapore Home Council of Overseas Missionary
Fellowship. I also lectured part-time at the Singapore Bible College.
But somehow, the missionary opportunity did not come. Through a
missionary who had served in Indonesia, God confirmed He had other
plans. He wanted me to remain in Singapore and serve the church.
I thus continued pastoring in the church. In the late 1980s,
a brother suggested I should go for further studies to prepare for
ministry as an educator at Trinity Theological College (TTC). Again, it
was marvelous how God put it all together for me to do my doctoral
studies at Edinburgh University. My family was able to join me and we
had three memorable years in Scotland. Malar was also able to do a
diploma in theology programme with the London Bible College while we
were there, giving her an opportunity to equip herself further for
ministry.
We returned to be stationed at TTC where I taught for eight
years, and served in various capacities. Meanwhile, I was also called to
church leadership, and was elected as bishop. I sensed one of the key
roles of a bishop is that of teaching with God placing me in a new
ministry. The part of my present ministry I enjoy most is the teaching,
preaching, and writing. Malar has also been busy leading Bible studies
and preaching in churches and ladies’ groups.
God
changed His mind?
The question may be asked whether there was a mistake in my
going to medical school. Was it a waste after all? If God led me to
medical school, did He change His mind halfway? Or was it a case of
wrong discernment on my part? I have thought through these questions and
derived much peace through it.
I do not think the medical training was wasted. I have found
my medical training very useful in my pastoral and teaching ministry.
Medical school taught me to think in a certain systematic, diagnostic,
and therapeutic way I find immensely helpful in theological reflection
and pastoral practice. Moreover, clinical experience has taught me to
approach people with compassion and care, and led me to think in a
holistic way. My PhD thesis was actually on a holistic theological and
pastoral reflection on demon possession. I found the multi-faceted
training and experience that the Lord put me through very helpful in
doing this work.
Being a doctor-pastor has opened otherwise closed doors. I
find that church members are more forthcoming when sharing their
problems with me or more ready to accept pastoral advice and help
because of my medical background. My medical training and experience are
indispensable gifts from God for the work I am now doing. I find the
therapeutic approach very helpful when thinking of human sin, God's
grace, and our salvation and transformation.
Do I miss medical practice?
In some ways, yes.
But a lot of what I do run parallel to what a doctor does to
help his patients. In the course of pastoring and teaching, some of my
most memorable and moving moments have to do with seeing the healing of
persons through the grace of God, whether it comes through counselling,
preaching or administering the sacraments. To see the healing of the
soul (often accompanied by the healing of the mind and body), the
transformation of people and communities, the emergence of holistic
health, are all wonderful fruits of a ministry of doctoring-pastoring.
I have had the privilege of walking with wounded persons over
periods of time and seeing the grace of God do its healing and
transforming work. God is the Healer par excellence, the Great
Physician, in whose hands we all find healing and health. I have found
this to be true both in medicine and pastoral work. In this respect, as
a pastor, I continue to be a doctor (healer). My medical background is
therefore a great asset to me and my work.
Healing
ministry of pastoring
I believe nothing is wasted in God's economy. After all, God
allowed Moses to be trained as a prince of a nation so that He could
later use him to lead His people from slavery to the promised land.
Likewise, David the shepherd-boy was called by God to shepherd His
people. The fishermen of Galilee were called by Jesus to be fishers of
men. Paul was trained to be a Pharisee so he could be used by God to be
the apostle to the Gentiles and to write New Testament epistles, clearly
interpreting the Old Testament in the light of Jesus, and the Law, in
the light of the Gospel.
It seems to me what God calls us to do often has connections
with our own past training and background. A medical training is very
useful in the healing ministry of pastoring. A healer of the body can be
called to be the healer of souls. It seems to me God often plans our
lives in interesting ways that show His sovereignty and wisdom. Nothing
is wasted in the hands of God.
In my experience of God's calling, I have learned that more
important than our commitment to our calling is our commitment to the
One who calls us. If our ultimate allegiance is to Him, then we can be
prepared to move to new roads. We may find the old and the new roads run
parallel after all, and what we have learned in the old road, can be put
to good use in the new. It also means that we need to depend day by day
on God's guidance. We do not ultimately just follow the road; we follow
the One who is the way (John 14:6), and we follow Him on every road He
leads us.
We keep listening to Him, and we are prepared to follow Him
anywhere. The Lord Jesus reminds us: "Whoever serves me must
follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be," (John
12:26). Our fundamental calling is to follow Jesus, and where He takes
us, we must go. It means we must listen to Him continuously, committed
to translate our big "Yes," said to Him when He originally
calls us into the little "yes-es" of every season of our
lives.
God’s call is a wonderful privilege. It is an invitation to
live life as His child and servant. I would not want to exchange it for
anything else in the world. It is primarily a call to a relationship
with Him and can take many forms. The circumstances may change, but the
calling does not, and the relationship can deepen. God continues to
lead, provide, protect, bless, and use. It is great to be in the hands
of a loving God, and whose gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans
11:29).
This article is from the book “Carry the Spices –
Singaporean Doctors in Medical Missions and Pastoral Ministry”. Dr
Robert Solomon is the Bishop,
The Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 to present.
BEING
IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF IT:
THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO THE LIBERAL AGENDA[1]
Born-Again
to Resistance
Christians
are born again to resist the spirit of the age. Francis Schaeffer noted
in The God who is There,
“the Christian must resist the spirit of the world in the form it
takes in his own generation.” This requires both discernment and
personal resolution not to be taken captive “through hollow and
deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of the world, rather than Christ.” (Colossians 2:8).
The authenticity of Christian discipleship is reflected in
whether we fully apprehend we are “no longer foreigners and aliens,
but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s
household.” (Eph 2:19). Our identity, allegiances and priorities must
shift and align with God’s purposes.
The quality of our character is determined by our response to the
trials He ordained for our maturing. All must give account to the Lord
Jesus Christ who will assess
whether we were complacent in our comfort-zones, or whether we knew our
God and did exploits (Dan 11:32). In John 15, our Lord said He choose
us, and appointed us to bear lasting fruit. While salvation is free, we
will be judged or assessed in relation to how we lived our lives and
whether we built on the foundation of Jesus Christ with “gold, silver,
costly stones, wood, hay or straw”. Our co-labour with Christ for His
Kingdom will be revealed with fire which will “test the quality of
each man’s work.” (1 Cor 3:12-13).
The
spirit of the anti-christ, which can occupy human systems, laws, and
cultural mindsets, is “every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is
not from God.” (1 John 4:2-3). What
comes from the “world” is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes and the pride of life: 1 John 2:16. This relates to sensuality,
which diminishes spiritual sensitivity, the greedy longings of the mind,
which dilutes the call to be a living sacrifice and self-sufficiency,
being assured in one’s own resources or the stability of earthly
things.
To be useful to the Master, we must be cleansed from such
worldliness and continually examine our hearts to root out that which
displeases Him. He will not use a filthy instrument or un-consecrated
heart which neither seeks Him nor carry His concerns. Only those who
pursue intimacy with God and holiness will be positioned to carry the
heart of Zion in the language of Canaan. Only those saints who repent of
their ‘worthless words’, knowing there is power of life and death in
the tongue, will be selected as His spokesmen (Jeremiah 15:17).
What
is the nature of the ‘liberal agenda’ and why must Christians oppose
this, both as stewards of the land God has placed us in and as citizens
in a democratic state where we have the privilege of speaking up to our
governors and being heard?