Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Jeremiah by Rembrandt

 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your Faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:22-23

The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, described this painting by Rembrandt of the lament of the prophet Jeremiah as 'The crestfallen Prophet Jeremiah rests his weary, old head on his hand. He laments Jerusalem going up in flames - in the background - whose destruction he had prophesied. Rembrandt heightened the sense of drama with powerful contrasts of light and dark.' (Ref 1)

A truly dramatic portrayal of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. 

Equally artistic but lost in English translation, is the Biblical Book of Lamentations. It is a collection of poems attributed to the prophet Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonian Conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar. Rev (Dr) Gordon Wong, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, pointed out the intricate Alphabet Acrostic Songs of the first four chapters of Lamentations. 

An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. An alphabet acrostic spells out the letters of the alphabet e.g. ABCDEF. Since the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, Lamentations 1,2 and 4 have 22 verses whereas Lamentations 3 has 66 verses, with a triplet of 3 verses beginning with one letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Whatever the artistic rendering, we should not miss the Bishop's message in which he contrasted two opposing realities especially apt in these times; where there seems to be  hopelessness, God renders hope by His faithfulness. 

The Bishop contrasted Lamentations 1-3

'I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath; He has driven and brought me without any light; surely against me he turns His hand again and again the whole day long.'

with Lamentations 3:21-23

'But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.'

The Hebrew name of the Book of Lamentations is Ekah which can be translated as alas or how. Chuck Swindoll wrote, 'Lamentations pictures a man of God over the results of evil and suffering in the world. But at the heart of this book, at the center of this lament over the effects of sin in the world, sit a few verses devoted to hope in the Lord. This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of the surrounding darkness....'  (Ref 2)

These are bleak times too. The delta variant of the Covid-19 virus is raging unrelentingly worldwide and Singapore is no exception, notwithstanding the high vaccination rates. During such times, we are wont to ask of God, in the Singlish vernacular of Singaporeans "How Ah?" as the Hebrew title of Lamentations suggested. But rather than wallow in despair at the apparent staying of God's hands, it may do us well to read and re-read Lamentations Chapter 3. Then, between adversity and hope, we will be encouraged by the  faithfulness of God which has been showered on us time and time again and renewed every morning. 

• Lost in Suffering - 'I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His affliction.' Lamentations 3:1

• Hope in Silence - 'Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust - there may yet be hope.' Lamentations 3:28-29

• Found by Love - 'For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast Love.' Lamentations 3:31-32

• Refreshed by Faithfulness - 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness.'  Lamentations 3:22-23

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning, new mercies I see

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord, great is Thy faithfulness!

Lionel

Inspired by a Sermon of Bishop Dr Gordon Wong entitled My Redeemer Is Faithful And True

Ref 1: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-3276

Ref 2: https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/lamentations

Sleep Easy At Night

 

Sleeping Soundly

 'When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.' Proverbs 3:24 

Having difficulty with sleeping? It seems that getting a good sleep preoccupies health conscious people these days. The general advice is to get about 7-9 hours of good sleep at night. However many people, stressed by the pressures of modern day living, hardly get the sleep they need. 

The Singapore Ministry of Health's web portal, Health Hub, noted that Singapore is the 3rd most sleep deprived city, after Tokyo and Seoul, in a study of 43 cities. The Singaporeans' lack of sleep is partly due to a culture of working long hours and that this drive may impinge on our ability to get good sleep. 

Singaporeans trade sleep for more work, thinking that the wealth we can bring with more work will allow us to live life fully with great satisfaction. Never mind if we lose sleep. Some even see the ability to function with less sleep as a badge of honour. The MOH Health Hub warns that 'if you think that you are doing fine with less sleep, you are probably wrong. And if you work in a profession where it's important to be able to judge your level of functioning, this can be a big problem.' 

Sleep affects decisions but the reverse is also true, decisions affects sleep. This is what the Bible says in Proverbs 3:21-24 

 'Preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.' 

No one can guarantee that we will make good decisions all the time. The trick is to try to make those decisions in the will of God. Then peace of mind will come, when we learn to exercise sound judgement using the wisdom God provides.

This is the same observation and advice that St Paul gave in Philippians 4:6-7:

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.' 

Notice that St Paul spoke not only of peace of mind but also the peace of heart. This is transcendental peace, a peace that comes from above, a peace that only Jesus can give.

'Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.' John 14:27 

There is a dramatic account of a storm on the Lake of Galilee in the Gospel of Mark,

'Late that day, He said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took Him in a boat. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher is it nothing to you that we are going down?" Awake now, He told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples:  "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at His beck and call!" Mark 4:35-41 (The Message)

Sleep in the midst of a storm? How is that possible? It is possible with the transcendental peace that Jesus gives. Then we will be  

• At Peace with God
• At peace with ourselves
• At peace with othaers 

This is the same message brought to us by the Christmas carol, Silent Night with its gentle refrain 'Sleep in Heavenly Peace.'

Sleep Well! 

Lionel

And Tigers Come At Night

Yunnan Stone Forest - The Tiger

'Lord what do I look for? My hope is in You' Psalm 39:7

In late Oct 2009, when visiting the Stone Forest in Kunming, Yunnan, we chanced upon a rock formation that took the shape of a tiger. Immediately the song 'I dreamed a Dream' came to mind, with its haunting line 'but the tigers come at night'. The song is a lament; the dreams of youth, once ever so promising, turned to ashes with the passing of time and with it, the dawning of hopelessness.

The song was sung by Fantine in the musical 'Les Miserables'. She had a love affair with a student, Tholomyes but he deserted her, leaving behind an illegitimate child. She became a prostitute, a destitute so poor that she had to sell her hair and teeth to clothe and feed her bastard child. Her once growing love became a bitter disappointment.

Fantine was emblematic of the plight of women, their sufferings, social wretchedness and hopelessness during the days of their exploitation in 18th and 19th centuries. 

There was a time when men were kind

When their voices were soft

And their words inviting

There was a time when love was blind

And the world was a song

And the song was exciting

There was a time

Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in times gone by

When hope was high and life worth living

I dreamed, that love would never die

I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid

And dreams were made and used and wasted

There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

As they tear your hope apart

As they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side

He filled my days with endless wonder

He took my childhood in his stride

But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me

That we will live the years together

But there are dreams that cannot be

And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I'm living

So different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream

I dreamed

In the Covid-stricken circumstances of 2019-present, many of us must feel that the tigers have come at night and shattered our dreams. It is not only the patients that are the victims. Many have dreams in life yet to be realised. Others are happy with life having achieved their dreams. Unexpectedly, the pandemic hit and disrupted everything.

  

It is not easy to face the ‘tigers’ and one should not wish for them to come a-haunting. If they do come, beware; despair can really break a person. Will we lose hope? Will we lose faith? 

St. Francis of Assisi once prayed, where there is despair let us sow hope. The Psalmist in Psalms 42 and 43 searched for answers and questioned the soul within, not once but three times. The answer is to put our hopes in God.

'As the deer pants for the water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me.

How can we hope at such hopeless times? Christianity answers with the call to rely on God. When everything seems to be falling apart, we can

 

Rely on God's presence

Rely on God's provision

Rely on God's promises

Although the shattering of dreams can be devastating, take comfort in the words of Jesus in John 16:33  

'I have told you these things, so that in Me you will have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.' John 16:33

Finally, 

'Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer' Romans 12:12

Lionel

1st Published 3 Feb 2010

Body Still, Mind Silent, Spirit Soars

Outside the Church of San Damiano

'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prosper.' Psalm 1:1-3

It was 9 Sep 2007 and we spent that week at Assisi to appreciate the life and deeds of St Francis of Assisi. Arriving at the Church of San Damiano we surveyed the Spoleto valley and noticed several sculptures in the garden including one of a Franciscan monk meditating while facing the valley below.  

St Francis was near San Damiano when driven by the Holy Spirit he entered the ruins of the old church to pray and meditate. While meditating before the Crucifix, it was written that 'he was invaded with a great spiritual consolation and, as he affixed his tearful eyes on the cross of the Lord, with the ears of his body he heard a voice descend to him from the cross and say three times Francis, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins!. On hearing that voice, Francis remained astonished and trembling, being in the church alone and, perceiving in his heart the power of divine language, felt kidnapped of his senses.'

The sculpture commemorates this event in the life of St Francis when during meditation and deep in prayer, the saint heard the voice of God. 

Father Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk and Director of the World Community of Christian Meditation, said "Meditation is a universal human wisdom, sorely needed today in all walks of life and at all stages of life. Although the roots of meditation in a transcultural and transhistorical tradition is not framed in a particular belief system, for those with a religious faith, learning to meditate may also offer surprising new ways of understanding and deepening of their faith" (Ref 1). Christians can practise meditation in the Christian contemplative traditions.

For those who would like to begin the discipline of Christian meditation, I  recommend reading the book written by Father Laurence Freeman, Light Within -  Meditation as Pure Prayer (Ref 2)

Why meditate? Meditation ushers us into the presence of God. We know that the Holy Spirit is always present in the lives of Christians but the moment of meditation is the time of awareness of God. St Francis in meditation and prayer at San Damiano reached a oneness with the Holy Spirit. 

I learned during meditation, to keep my body still, my mind silent, then in that stillness and silence to allow my spirit to soar. These stages can occur sequentially or simultaneously but it will require discipline and practice. 

Still. Keeping the body still sets the stage for a perfect reflection or contemplation, as this picture taken of the Black Dragon Pool in LiJiang, Yunnan Province demonstrated.

A Perfect Reflection, Black Dragon Pool, LiJiang

I found that keeping the body still is the easiest step to achieve. With the right relaxed posture the body sets the stage, the same way that this pool of still water sets the stage for the image of a beautiful pleasant scenery reflected upon it. Throw a pebble into the pool and it disrupts the image. In the same way, a body movement will disrupt the contemplative moment.

Silence. The next step, keeping the mind silent is more difficult. The body may be still but the mind is always moving, always thinking and always distracting. Those who meditate will suggest to keep away these distracting thoughts by repeating a mantra.  

This picture was taken just before dawn from a hotel window in Grenoble, France

Just Before Dawn, Grenoble, France

There is a phrase, 'The darkest hour is just before dawn.' I think that the darkness in that phrase is not meant in terms of light but sound; of quiet and peace. Just before dawn, before the world stirs, before the birds sing, is the most peaceful moment of the day. In the same way, if we want to hear the voice of God, we should remove our thoughts from distractions, we should keep our minds silent and peaceful.

Soar. Eric Liddell the Scotsman, Missionary and Olympian said, 'When I run I feel God's presence.' He meant that when he is engaged in his favourite activity he senses a connectivity with God. It is like the bird on the wind, soaring in the presence and oneness with the Creator.

The Bird on the Wind

I have not experienced this stage of meditation but those who practice meditation for many years will bear witness; their spirits soar. The Bible teaches that our spirits co-mingle with the Holy Spirit and identifies us as children of God. At that moment in meditation, I hope to pay attention to God and allow my spirit to soar in His presence. Father Laurence shared of the ability to pay attention to a unique person, the manifestation of the Divine, the presence of Jesus Christ.

 

So Christian meditation is not just about a personal uplifting of the spirit, it involves the Triune God and our spirit communicates with the Holy Spirit. It is silent prayer as noted by St Paul in Romans 8:26 (CEV)

'In certain ways we are weak but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. '

On the surface,  everything in meditation seem to be centred within that is towards the inner self or going to the inner room. This is a paradox because the post-meditation outcomes are all reaching out towards an others-centredness. In a seminar at DP Architects, Father Laurence shared that meditation 

• Creates community and connectedness with others
• Releases the power of forgiveness and reconciliation
• Removes the clutches of fear
• Promotes selfless attention towards others
• Expresses unselfish love 
• Heals relationships with self and others. 

The discipline of meditation changes a person in two directions, inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly, towards a life of contemplative worship. Outwardly, towards a life of selfless service. Come to think of it, this duality anchored the life of St Francis of Assisi and many other saints and heroes of the Christian faith.

 

May Christian Meditation set my spirit free for worship and service.

Lionel

Ref 1: Laurence Freeman OSB. Good Work - Meditation For Personal and Organisational Transformation. Meditatio 2019.

Ref 2: Laurence Freeman OSB. Light Within - Meditation as Pure Prayer. the Canterbury Press Norwich 2008

 

Come To The Water

On the Road to Damascus

“The Lord your God is with you. He will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17

The search for God is vividly described in Psalms 69:2-3, 

'I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the flood engulfs me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for God.'

Many understand the sensations of hunger and thirst as basic needs of the body. Others, however, hunger and thirst not for food and water but desire emotional, intellectual and spiritual nourishment. Still others crave for moments of spiritual ecstasy as vividly portrayed in the sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini of St Teresa of Avila in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. 

Ecstasy of St Teresa of Avila 

St Teresa described this experience, "I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying."

Neuroscientists studied the ecstasy of a religious experience, through studying the excitation of different parts of the brain during deep meditation. An article in the New Scientist entitled ‘In Search of God’ described scientific experiments by Andrew Newberg and Eugene d’Aquili during which eight meditation practitioners underwent brain imaging. These neuroscientists noted a relative deactivation of the parietal lobe that regulate attention and self awareness but the limbic system which regulate emotions became activated. Apparently the same findings will occur for Tibetan monks as for Franciscan nuns, indicating that whatever the religious beliefs, there is a common pathway in the brain for the ‘touching God experience.’ 

Skeptics have used these findings to argue that God has no real existence, that the presence of God is actually just a result of chemical induction of brain functions. On the other hand, one can argue that God made and designed us so that we would have the neuro-ability for this interaction. Blaise Pascal said, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator made known through Jesus.”

The Cliffs of Solva, Wales

The hunger and thirst for a special relationship with God is a natural yearning because we are created in God’s image. The wonderful news is that while we search, God reaches out to establish a warm and personal relationship with us. 

“The Lord your God is with you. He will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). 

St Paul, thought that he knew God. He was so adamant and bigoted in his belief that he strenuously persecuted the Christians. However, while steeped in this activity of searching out Christians to persecute, Christ found Paul instead. It was a spectacular and vivid visitation on that road to Damascus. Later, Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi about this unsurpassing find 

'But whatever gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything as a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ.' Phil 3: 7-8

 

Jesus offers to all of us the same privilege of a relationship with God. He admits us into this special relationship on the condition of our faith and belief in Him. For the religious mystics amongst us, we can indeed delve into the realm of the limbic system activation when we meditate. But be it as it may, this experience profound or ordinary, only occurs by the grace of God; a gift we receive which we do not deserve. 

The prophet Isaiah wrote, 

Come, all you who are thirsty, Come to the waters. Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.' Isaiah 55:1,6   

And Jesus said come to the waters

Stand by my side

I know you are thirsty you won't be denied

I felt every teardrop when in darkness you cried

And I strove to remind You 

That for those tears I died

You said You'd come and share all my sorrow

You said You'd be there for all my tomorrow

I came so close to sending You away

But just as you've promised

You came there to stay

I just had to pray

Your goodness so great I can't understand

And dear Lord I know that all this was planned

I know you're here now and always will be

And Your love loosed my chains

And in You I'm free

But Jesus why me 

Jesus I gave You my heart and my soul

I know that without God I'd never be whole

Saviour You opened all the right doors

And I thank you and praise You

From earth's humble shores

Take me I'm yours.

Jesus said, 

'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'

Lionel