Theology Is Serious Study! - Timothy Hou

Trinity Theological College!

Honestly, I don’t really know where or how to begin this. I guess I shall start with the first day, and chronicle my journey from then on! Regrettably I was one of the ‘Big Three’ who didn’t attend the team building and orientation games on the first day. Bola Bola looked so exciting! So my memories of this internship started only on the second day. 

For this entire day, we had a series of lectures introducing us to the Presbyterian church movement, giving us a snapshot of the route that winded from the Singapore church to the initial reformation in the 16th century. I liked knowing the roots and the underlying factors that enabled the rapid spread and planting of the protestant movement in Singapore. This knowledge made me realise that it was by God’s grace and timely providence that we, the interns, could be part of the big Presbyterian family, one of the four mainline Christian denominations in Singapore. 

Did I mention that I was one the ‘Big Three’? There were two others who missed out the first day as well! So when it was time to go for lunch, pastor Willy sat us down and briefed us on the goings on for the duration of this internship, after which we went for lunch. It turned out to be a great opportunity to know more about the other two, Hoi Wen and Crystal. At the same time, I also got to talk to pastor Willy as well. 

During the get-to-know-each-other session, I felt once again, the power and truth of the verse in 1 Corinthians : “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ”. It was simply marvellous knowing the different gifts that we have all been blessed with, to see people to come together as one body in Christ, and because of Him.
 

Next up, we visited Trinity Theological College (TTC) on my second day (STEP's third day)! The devotion was on being exposed to the issue of being qualified for ministerial work in our churches, and it struck a personal chord with me as me and my fellow brothers and sisters faced similar issues in the course of serving. I was grateful to the numerous professors who lectured us and opened our eyes to the numerous truths and new schools of thought. 

The talk by prof Simon Chan was especially enlightening as he expounded on the need for not simply proper, or formal, theological education, but education that had to be reflected in our conduct in the church, whether be it in our prayers or meetings or even things as minute as dressing. Big thank you to the faculty staff who joined us for lunch, in which we could engage in meaningful yet personal conversations, and grateful too for the free lunch that was provided on the campus as well! 

In the trip around the campus of TTC, two things struck out for me. Firstly, the way our tour guide, Dr Leow, described the architecture of the building amazed me. That the library was built directly the chapel signified our worship being built on the foundation of the Word, and that knowledge of the Word should rise us up into appropriate worship at the chapel gave me insight into how we Christians should take example in being Christ like every day, even in seemingly mundane and ‘secular’ things. 

Secondly, the library was rather huge, filled with large amounts of books, which amazed me even further still. Indeed, theology is serious study!

Timothy Hou