Charis - A Gracious, Attractive Community?

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtain wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes" Isaiah 54:2

My Church is Charis Methodist Church. In Greek mythology Charis is the name of one of the Graces. She is known for her charm, beauty and graciousness. In the Christian context the Greek word Charis (χάρις) refers to goodwill, loving-kindness, favour and the grace of God showered upon Christians. As such many Charisians think we are highly favoured by God, our motto being 'A Church After God's Own Heart'. Charis is also a root word for charisma and charity; we aspire to be a church full of vitality, graciousness and charity in service to God and others.

For some time now, I have ranted and lamented about people leaving and changing churches and emphatically stated that there is absolutely no good reason for committing such a 'crime'. Someone alerted me that I may be blind-sighted, that many people are leaving their churches because of our collective failure as a community. He observed, quite rightly, "that much more effort is put into the brick and mortar rebuilding, and into perfecting our worship service flow than into building our love for one another". In short, Charis Methodist Church may have failed to live up to our name.

Pope Francis in one of his homilies said, "Enlarge your tent" we read in the prophecy of Isaiah, so that all can dwell as members of one family. A family where there is one God and Father, one Lord Jesus Christ and one Spirit of life. A family in which no one member is more important than another, neither in virtue of age, intelligence or ability, for all are beloved children of the same Father. In this regard, Saint Paul's example of the body and its members speaks eloquently for us."

Rebuilding Charis Methodist Chu

How do we re-define ourselves? How can we revitalise a waning and tired body? How can we be a more attractive community? 

We can rebuild ourselves spiritually concurrent to rebuilding physically. 

• Rebuilding Community Strength
• Rebuilding Community Support
• Rebuilding Community Service

Rebuilding Community Strength

'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word of that was preached to you.' 1Peter 1:24-25

The inspirational preaching and consistent studying of God's word is an important ministry of the local church. God's Word directs our paths. It helps the Christian to grow, strengthens him and sustains his faith. John Stott wrote, "The point is that we do not emerge from the new birth with the understanding and character of a mature Christian...but rather like new-born babies -weak, immature, vulnerable and needing above all to grow." (ref 1). 

A fundamental responsibility of Pastors is the pulpit ministry; from whence will come the encouragement and inspiration for church members. The Psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 119:9 and 10, "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

The Word of God strengthens the church and a local church steeped in God's word will be a formidable force in the community.

Rebuilding Community Support.

'Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed'

1 Peter 4:12-13

Bishop (Dr) Robert Solomon wrote in his book, The Race, "In suffering, we need to find meaning. We need to find love. It is difficult to suffer alone and many people feel they do so. But we are not alone when we suffer. God often offers us His loving presence. And when we allow Him to walk with us, we will find that suffering is redemptive. It changes us and makes us like Him. It gives depth and brings new life". (ref 2) 

Life is not meant to be easy. Suffering and trouble in our lives can swerve us off course. When such times befall us, will the church be there to support? A genuine congregation will have members who can and will support us in days of trouble. Such support structures take a long time to build and we should treasure such friends and church members.

Rebuilding Community Service

'And let us consider how we spur one another toward love and good deeds' Heb 10:24.

Someone said that we come to church the way we drive into a petrol station. We come in to re-fill our spiritual tank and we leave oblivious to the world around us and to its needs. Jesus said that Christians are to be the light and salt of the earth, that is the Church is expected to do good deeds, to be an exemplar to society. Every member should have a duty towards social service. The Church has a social conscience.

Let us be a 'Total Church'. There is a Christian song, 'Making a Difference' that aptly expresses these sentiments;

Won't you Lord 

Take a look at our hands

Everything we have

Use it for Your plan

Won't You Lord

Take a look at our hearts

Mould it, refine it,

As You set us apart

We want to run to the altar

And catch the fire

To stand in the gap

Between the living and the dead

Give us a heart of compassion

For a world without vision

We will make a difference

Bringing hope to our land

Lionel

Ref 1: John Stott, The Radical Disciple Inter-Varsity Press
Ref 2: Robert Solomon, The Race Armour Publishing

Church Under Construction

Sagrada Familia (credit Edith Frost)

"...and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it" Matthew 16:18

There is a church in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia, the building of which started in 1894 but has remained under construction to date. As one can imagine it has become a tourist attraction. The architect is Antonin Gaudi and Barcelona has several iconic buildings designed by him. When asked why the project is taking so long to complete, Gaudi famously replied, "The patron of this project is not in a hurry".

Pat and Lionel at the Sagrada Familia (2001)

The Sagrada Familia is a grand and imposing structure with lots of promises but it still remains incomplete. In the same vein, the church of God remains under construction. Its members, we Christians are described as living stones, laid brick by brick and cemented to one another, to slowly but surely build God's house.

If this is so, it seems rather strange that Christians are often judgemental about their local churches. Instead of realising that these local churches are still work in progress, some Christians are so dissatisfied with their congregations that they would leave the local church. We are all sinners saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. If the church is made up of people like us, then surely it must be naïve to expect perfection.

So why are Christians often intolerant of their local churches? How often have we broken away from the congregation to move on to seemingly better churches, where there should be better worship, better fellowship, better teaching, better pastors, better leaders, better ministries only to find after a few months in the new church, that the same old church problems resurface?

Sometimes we are led to believe that the New Testament churches were perfect congregations but we have the New Testament letters precisely because these churches were imperfect and required corrections and rebukes. The Galatians were wrong on a basic point of doctrine. The Philippians were suffering from disunity. The Colossian church was suffering from a group within the church who regarded themselves as better than everybody else. Corinth had problems of immorality, of factionalism and unsound doctrine. Martin Luther once said; “The face of the church is the face of the sinner”.

In 2020 and 2021, my church, Charis Methodist Church is experiencing the physical inconvenience of rebuilding a new church sanctuary. Like buildings under construction it looks a terrible mess with all the dust and dirt, chaos and confusion. We are glad to find temporary premises to worship in; the Living Hope Methodist Church lending us their premises in the afternoon.  What worries me is that many of our church members will leave the Charis community to go to worship at more conveniently located churches. This will soon be an excuse to leave the church permanently.

Undeniably, our Charis church community (Koinonia) remains incomplete and imperfect; so are many churches too. Instead let us learn to accommodate and even forgive one another for any wrong doings done to each other.

The children in singing the song 'Kids under Construction' by Gaither and Paxton can tell the adults a thing or two

Kids under construction

Maybe the paint is still wet

Kids under construction

The Lord may not be finished

We're more than just accidents without the cause;

We're more than just bodies and brains.

God made us on purpose; we're part of a plan

He cares and knows us by name

Dear Jesus, please make me more patient and kind

And help us to be more like You.

And make room for all other children of Yours

For they are still growing too

So let us realise that Charis Methodist Church, the building and the people within are all still under construction. God has not finished with us yet. Then let us be grateful for God's patience with us, 'our patron who is not in a hurry.'

Lionel

Our Hymn Of Joyful Praise

As The Waters Cover The Sea

"For the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:8

I had the opportunity to enjoy a morning’s freshness, staring out into the far horizon of the Adriatic Sea from the balcony of a cruise ship. The huge cruise ship seemed so puny when set in the vast expanse of water. Looking at the sun rising out of the distant horizon against the deep blue colour of the sea, I was deeply moved by the thought of the greatness of God. God made this wonderful and vast Blue Planet, Earth, on which we live. 

A New Year has dawned, a new world is expected. In the coming decade, Man will expect to shape this new world. The advances in science and technology will astound us beyond all imagination. This world will become an easy a place to live in. That is when humanistic tendencies will get the better of us and we will pride ourselves with the greatness of Man. Encouraged by discoveries that will unravel the mysteries of nature and inventions that improve our lives, some of us may go so far as to posit that human beings are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or god. 

Nothing can be further from the truth. Whilst the achievements of the human race deserve some recognition, we should be careful not to leave God out of the equation. For despite all the advancements in science and philosophy, we have not solved the inherent problems of the human nature; of pride, greed, selfishness and brutality. To some extent, man can punish faults and write new laws. Hopefully, society can hope to become more egalitarian by community effort and education. However, in the end, all these will still fail because the human heart is deceitful and inherently wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and will corrupt all noble intentions. 

There are tragic stories of human excesses committed on innocent victims. I remember one in 2002, a sad story of a young Indian girl who was brutally gang-raped in New Delhi. In Singapore, we are fortunate to be shielded from the violence and gangland behaviours that often pervade the inner cities of some of our neighbouring countries. Nevertheless, this particular tragedy struck home because the poor girl died in one of our hospitals. The Indian government had referred her for medical management in Singapore in view of her critical condition but to no avail. Alongside India, all of Singapore mourned this needless death and repudiated the senseless violence and the depravity of the men who perpetrated this heinous crime. Yet these gang rapes continue unabated in India.

Our saving grace is that God is present. This is still 'our Father's world'. God made it. Another ancient voyager once wrote "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4. 

So, as I contemplated the vast expanse of the Adriatic Sea and realising how small we humans are, I prayed that "the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea" The Bible tells us that this reverential fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 

We need to look to God. Can our fear and knowledge of God change our hearts? Can we live as friends, brother, sister, parent, child? This should be the prayer for the new year. John Rutter put it better in his canticle 'For the Beauty of the Earth'.

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to thee we raise

This our hymn of joyful praise

For the joy of human love

Brother, sister, parent, child

Friends on earth and friends above

For all gentle thoughts and mild

Click on the title and hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing this hymn. Then raise to God your hymn of joyful praise.

  

Happy New Year!

Lionel

Luke - Gift from God

Luke@4Months

 'Children are a gift from God, they are a reward from Him.' Psalms 127:3 (NLT)

Our third grandchild, Luke was born on 23 April 2015. I am glad that he is named after the gospel writer and the book of Acts as well as a faithful early Christian disciple. Luke was a young man when he accompanied Paul on the missionary journeys and chronicled the acts of the early Christian church. He was the bearer of truth. It is our prayer that our grandson, Luke will follow after his namesake, become a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ and become a bearer of truth and the good news of the gospel.

By the time Luke came along we were all less anxious about his birth. Nevertheless, I remember that we pray everyday for his safe arrival, not being presumptuous, and when Luke came we thank God for His bountiful blessing: A Gift from God!

The striking feature about young Luke is his curly hair, this make for a photogenic photo along with his stare into the camera. 

We welcomed Luke into our family and introduced him to the family of God, just as Jesus said in Matthew 19:14,

'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'

Christianity has much to say about little children, how the Lord loves them and how they are truly blessed

• Children are blessed by God. Mark 10:16 'And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them.'

• Children are gifts from God. Psalm 127:3 'Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.'

• Children need nurture and guidance. Proverbs 22:6 'Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.'

• Children need correction. Proverbs 29:17 'If you correct your children, they will bring you peace and happiness.' 

When Luke came, his parents and grandparents felt a duty to pass our faith down to him as we did for his two older siblings, James and Eleanor. Like the gospel writer, we pray that our little Luke will carry the torch of our faith.

So whenever I had the opportunity to put Luke to sleep, I would sing him a praise lullaby, 'I Love You Lord' followed by 'To Get A Touch From Lord Is So Real.' 

I love you, Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship you
Oh my soul rejoice
Take joy, my king
In what you hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In your ear

To get a touch from the Lord is so real

To get a touch from the Lord is so real

If you draw nigh to Him

He will draw nigh to you

To get a touch from the Lord is so real

Hallelujah, Hallelujah Jesus is coming, is coming again

Hallelujah, Hallelujah Jesus is coming, is coming again 

I prayed that these songs will be prophetic for Luke and become his legacy.

Lionel

Celebrating the Flights of Life

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants" Psalms 116:5


There used to be death-houses1 tucked away in the dark alleys of Sago Lane in Chinatown, Singapore. People living out the last days of their lives would be left at these death houses to die. There, solitary and terminally-ill Chinese immigrants could rent a bed space for their dying moments. They had pre-purchased their coffins and funeral rites. The funeral parlour would be below these rental spaces.  In those days, the dying person faced terminal illnesses alone often without the prospect of family and community support.

Not anymore.

Dover Park Hospice (DPH) was set up in 1992 to provide care for patients at the end of life. Now, these patients can live out their last days in comfort and dignity – lovingly cared for by an expert team trained in palliative care. What’s more, the hospices in Singapore have been engaging the public and community, creating awareness and societal support.

One example is the recent “Hospice Is….” Art Project initiated by DPH and the LaSalle College of the Arts (LCA). The project involved people from all walks of life, ranging from hospice patients and their families, staff and volunteers from the hospice fraternity, community partners and the general public. They were encouraged to express their feelings about end-of-life issues and Hospices and paint these thoughts onto pre-molded dove figurines. The dove is the symbol of the Dover Park Hospice.

Art Therapy is a creative way to express emotions, thoughts and states of being that may be difficult to share and communicate with others. There is an intrinsic therapeutic value in creating something with one’s own hands and then to share this with others.

Thus, using art to transcend barriers, the project and the ensuing exhibition from 3 to 7 Oct 2103 served as a platform for Singaporeans to share their perceptions on hospice care. It was hoped that the public will become more aware of these end-of-life issues and help de-mystify the concept of the hospice movement.

The success of the open art exhibition in contrast with the hidden death houses in the past, indicates the gradual change in societal attitudes towards taboo subjects such as the death and dying in Singapore.

So, why do we care and why are the dying moments important? In DPH our motto is “Every Moment Matters”. This means that whatever time is left for life should be lived in the most meaningful way. The hospice offers support and specialist care to achieve this aim. No one is left alone to die.

In the same way no Christian will face death alone. Psalms 116:5 informs that God will always be with us.

Lionel

1. Click on hyperlink to view You-tube of Death-Houses of Sago Lane

The Quintessential Pastor

A Pastor and Her Congregation

“ 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. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Acts 20:28-31

On the last day of 2012, we paid tribute to our outgoing Pastor Tan-Yeo Lay Suan, bidding her farewell after 7 years as the pastor-in-charge of Charis Methodist Church. There were heaps of sincere praise and an outpouring of gratitude.

Lay Suan came to our local congregation in January 2006, our very first lady pastor. She is petite, a trifle frail, but she is a powerhouse minister, performing her many duties as Pastor-in-Charge resolutely and with patience and gentleness.

Church elder, Koh Wan Yee aptly summarised her 7 years ministry in Charis, calling her “…a quintessential pastor, a pastor to all members for all seasons”. 

A minister of the church is a time-honoured vocation.  It is an onerous job. At times, it can be filled with agonising moments of disappointments whilst other times are filled with the elation and joys of having influenced and assisted others in their spiritual journeys. No achievement can surpass that of having guided people through difficult periods, healing hurts, sustaining spirits and restoring their spiritual health.

Unobtrusively, Lay Suan had the courage to exert her leadership in a manner after Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon’s advice: “As ministers of order, pastors must exercise pastoral leadership, leading not just with the exhortation of their words, but also with the example of their lives. Pastors must also motivate their flocks to follow Christ and to live lives worthy of God. Their leadership must be exercised through personal involvement in the lives of their flocks. They must earn the respect of their flocks in the way they conduct themselves. They must lead their flocks." (Ref 1).

To these duties, Pastor Tan-Yeo offered herself unreservedly and unpretentiously. In so doing, she led, nurtured, encouraged, counselled and protected the flock just as St Paul expected in his farewell message to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20. She left behind an indelible mark and she will be remembered with fondness.

Lionel

Ref 1: R.S. Solomon Ordination Service at 28^th Session of the Chinese Annual Conference, Singapore 13 Nov 2003.

Eleanor - When A Child Is Born

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward”. Psalms 127:3

Our granddaughter, Eleanor was born on the 23 Feb 2011 at around 7.47 p.m. Like the birth of her elder brother James, I waited anxiously throughout the pregnancy for Eleanor’s arrival, all the time not knowing what kind of a grandchild will be given us from God but always trusting in His providence.

Every birth is a miracle. I stared at Eleanor and watched her move, cry and open her eyes. I cannot help but feel so proud as a grandfather. The name means the bright and shining one. In this child, gift of God, is the hope of the future. The song, ‘When A Child Is Born’ sums up this hope and exhilarating feeling so appropriately

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high

All across the land, dawns a brand new morn'

This comes to pass when a child is born.

A silent wish sails the seven seas

The winds of change whisper in the trees

And the walls of doubt.. crumble tossed and torn,

This comes to pass when a child is born.

A rosy dawn settles all around

You got to feel you're on solid ground

For a spell or two no one seems forlorn

This come to pass when a child is born.

It's all a dream, and illusion now.

It must come true sometime soon somehow

All across the land dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass.. when a child is born.

This song celebrates the birth of any child, anywhere in the world but it lends itself to an association with the birth of Jesus Christ. It is this greater miracle of the birth of Jesus which offers hope and joy to the world and from whom, every newborn, like Eleanor, gives the same expectations and brings their individual glimmer of hope.

Every child is God’s gift. Psalms 139:12-14 states, 

'For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.'

The Catholic Media House made a video, “The Miracle of Life” which shows us how amazing and wonderful the gift of Life is that God has blessed us with.

God is the creator of Life. Every child is special and wonderfully made. Jer 1:5 states, 

'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you are born I set you apart...'  

Eleanor is a blessing from God.

Lionel

Find Us Faithful

Pa & Ma
Originally uploaded by LeeFamily

On the 28 Jun 2009, Pat and her siblings, the Goh (Kao) family celebrated the lives of their late parents the Rev and Mrs James Kao by remembering the 20th anniversary of their deaths. Both had died of cancer within 6 months of each other in 1989.

Coming together in family worship, we reminisced about Pa and Ma; what we knew of them. Rev Kao was a Methodist Pastor for 40 years. In his career he was the pastor to many churches ranging from small village congregations in Malaysia to large urban churches in Singapore. He was known as a church builder, having raised funds and organised the development for at least 7 churches in Singapore, Malaysia and China. Mrs Kao was ever the dutiful pastor’s wife who cared for 7 children and ever the present companion at his side.

We talked of how both were so committed to the Lord and faithful in ministry. It was not easy to be a minister of the Gospel in the 1940s. My father and mum in law were sent to village churches that could ill afford the minister’s salary, much less feed seven children. Ma would relate how these churches pay Rev Kao in kind, mostly by giving them “kampong” chickens. But they soldier on, faithfully serving God. They were both prayer warriors, noted for spending the early morning and late night hours on their knees, praying. We recalled the many miracles surrounding them wherein God answered their prayers in the difficult circumstances of their lives and ministries.

Considering their testimonies, struggles and service, the advice by St Paul to young Timothy comes to mind 1 Tim 6:6-8 ‘A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough’.

They are fortunate, my in-laws. They found their calling early in life and lived lives of service, godliness and contentment. Ravi Zacharias states “We often find out too late in life that attaining a pursuit and finding fulfillment are not necessarily the same thing. It is surely possible to find meaning without extraordinary success. Many people do. But conversely immense success does not always bring meaning and fulfillment. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to recognise God’s calling.”

Richard of Chichester prayed.
‘may I know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
follow you more nearly,
day by day.’

St Paul’s advice to Timothy in 1 Tim 6:11-12 ‘But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this (that is the pursuit of wealth and worldliness). Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.’

What should occupy our lives? Do we pursue wealth, happiness, popularity, acceptance? My guess is that the pursuit of godliness is the best path to follow. It was the path chosen by the Rev and Mrs James Kao. I hope that my life will be lived such that long after I am dead and gone, my children and grandchildren would one day sit in conversation and sift through our lives, Pat and I. My prayer is that they would have found that we’ve have kept our Christian faith and have made a difference for them and others. May they find us faithful.

“After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful”
Lionel

Ref Ravi Zaccharias, “The Grand Weaver” Zondervan 2007

Begin The Journey With The End In Mind.

 

'Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession before many witnesses.'  1 Tim 6:12

We bade farewell to Sim Hee Wan, a long time church friend. He fought a 2 year battle against pancreatic cancer. I can sense the difficulty our church had in bidding our farewell to Hee Wan. He was still a young father, leaving behind a young wife and two small children. At the wake and cremation, his wife and friends shared strong and stirring testimonies of being touched by a quiet, unassuming witness of a Christian who has the gift of encouraging others. 

In 1 Tim 6: 12, the Apostle Paul wrote

'Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.'

Although this verse is often quoted at many a funeral wake, Hee Wan had a special claim to this verse and it would do well to learn the lesson he was teaching us.

The last two years of Hee Wan’s journey and good fight was tough and difficult. He shared his thoughts of this journey once:- “My family took the 4 hours drive up Malaysia to attend the church camp. As expected the question from the back seat ever so often during the drive was "Are we there yet?" The journey really felt unending to my two children. I find myself asking God the same question. "Am I there yet?" 

It has been 6 months since I started on my chemo treatment. The good news first, the cancer marker count has gone down from the 600+ to 80+. The recent CT scan in May 2007 also showed a small shrinkage in size of the tumour. My doctor told me that the treatment is working for me. I would need to continue with my chemo for 2 more weeks, from 5 June, before he decides on the next course of action. Currently, my physical condition is quite good, hardly experiencing any pain, living quite a normal life, thank God! At this moment, I really don't know how long this journey is going to be. All I know is "He" is doing the driving, and me asking Him the same question over and over again. I believe in good time I will arrive!"

Well in the meantime, we will just have to do what St Paul said, "Whatever that is of good report, think of these things" 

Hee Wan showed me the secret of beginning a journey with the end in mind. Somewhere in his ‘fighting the good fight of faith,’ he learnt that life on earth is about transforming the soul and not about sustaining the body. We are always more preoccupied about our physical selves, more nurturing of our health than about being conscious of our souls.

Consider what Hee Wan wrote on 24 Sep 2007, "I want my life to fulfill God's purposes. In worship to Him through every act I make! In fellowship with His people by putting aside time for them. In having the mind of Christ to be more like Him. In serving His people to be a giver of strength, time and money and to teach people who do not know Christ by being a friend to them."

Psalms 1:2-3

'His delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruits in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers.'

describes a man who nurtured his soul properly under God. That man is like a tree planted by steams of water. No matter what the weather and storms of life, the roots go down into the water sources and bring up life. By doing so he becomes a man who is able to respond to the situations of life in ways that are good and right. He provides thoughts, feelings, actions, relationships and behaviours that are right and in agreement with truth, fulfilling God’s purposes.

He achieves meaning in life. That is what all of us want, meaning for all that we do all and all that we are. Work, rest, struggles, family, friendships, parenting, community, beliefs, contacts must find meaningful experiences and expressions. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

Did Hee Wan’s journey end? On the 1st April 2008, when Hee Wan drew his last breath, he arrived at heaven’s doors. You see Hee Wan began his journey with the end in mind and death is not the end.

Lionel

Man Does Not Live On Bread Alone

James and John
Originally uploaded by Leefamily

James Gifford, my grandson is one month old today. We watched with much anxiety in the past month. How he dipped in weight the first three days and regained it by the end of the first week. How he learnt to suckle and get into the routine of feeding from his mother’s breasts. How he recognises his father’s face and studies the look, shape and form. How he uses his cries as a means of communicating his needs and wishes. By the end of the first month he has put on 1 kg in weight and grown 7 cm.

It is going to be a grandfather’s joy to watch James grow. God has given me a special gift of time; the sheer delight for being there to witness his first faltering steps, the forming of the first few intelligible words and then the chuckle and laughter of the simple joys of childhood. I pray everyday that God will protect James. Give him the strength and energy for his physical needs. While we watch anxiously for the clear evidence of growth and development, a more important dawning and shaping is taking place yet unseen, the shaping of character and spirituality.

“Man does not live on bread alone,” said Jesus in Matt 4:4. What does this mean? Co-incidentally, my dear brother, Robert Goh gave me a book this week for my 57th birthday. It is Dallas Willard’s ‘Renovation of the Heart.’ The first paragraph of the first chapter hits home as I contemplate James growing. “We live from our hearts. The part that drives and organizes our life is not the physical. You have a spirit within you and it has been formed. It has taken on a specific character. ..The spirit within us takes on whatever character it has from the experiences we have lived through and the choices we have made. That is what it means for it to be formed.”

To some extent, we can manage and guard the physical growth of our grandchild. We can ensure his feeding and provide a save and proper environment. James growing from strength to strength will become obvious to us. But another growth is taking place in the depths of James’ being, in his spirit, his will and his heart. That growth is much more difficult to influence.

Proverbs 4:23 warns us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Is there any doubt which of the two is the more important? The Bible describes a inner existence that is a wellspring of life, the very source of all that is worth the living. I learnt that for James to live life abundantly and to experience the fullness of God’s gift of his destiny, James must nurture his heart. I pray to God that I can help. More than my help, James will require God’s help. He cannot live on bread alone.

Lionel

A Miracle Called James

James Rui-An Gifford

Baby James Gifford arrived on 7 Feb 2008 (1st Day of the Lunar New Year) at 6.58pm. He weighs 3 kilos and measures 51 cm long. He is a beautiful baby with lots of dark brown hair and a small handsome looking face. Debbie was very tired after a long day and we were too, waiting at home for news from John who was by her side.

All day long I was mulling over the birth of my first grand child; not knowing what we will receive. Parents and grandparents relied entirely on God’s grace. Awed by the miracle of birth and groping to find its meaning, the song “I believe” came to mind. There is line in the lyrics - “Every time I hear a new born baby cry, I believe”. 

I believe for every drop of rain that falls

A flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night
A candle glows
I believe for everyone who goes astray
Someone will come to show the way
I believe
I believe

I believe above the storm the smallest prayer
Will still be heard
I believe that someone in the great somewhere
Hears every word
Every time I hear a newborn baby cry
Or touch a leaf
Or see the sky
Then I know why
I believe
I believe

“What’s the nearest thing to proof that God exists?” David Frost, the famous TV interviewer asked Dr Billy Graham the evangelist once. “The birth of a baby,” Graham answered, “I watched my younger son being born. And the doctor that was delivering the baby looked up at me and he said, “How can anyone see this without realizing that there is a God?”

I was anticipating James throughout these 9 plus months of pregnancy the same way as I was anticipating his mother’s birth 28 years ago. Back then I was more naïve. I was more excited for my firstborn. Nevertheless, I felt the same anxiety and restlessness over the uncertainty of what will come. The same resignation that we can do nothing and that the gift we will receive is entirely up to God. Hardly a day passes without invoking God’s grace, mercy and provision for our family.

Kent Nerburn wrote in Simple Truth, “A child whether of your blood or someone else’s, whether healthy or ill, whether beautiful or misshapen, is one of life’s greatest miracles. It opens your world into a new sunlight and is a gift greater than a dream". Similarly, David the psalmist and king, contemplated, 

'Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- and how well I know it.' Psalm 139:14.

I am blessed to be a grandfather. We received a miracle called James. Praise God along with us.

Lionel