Presbyterianism, Biblical Counselling, and Gratitude to Fellow Interns - Sharon Long

The second half of the week was equally inspiring and enriching as the first half. Rev. Tan Tiong Ann imparted many Calvinism theories which provided greater insights for me towards presbytery. 

Today, Rev. Tan once again reminded me of my belief, that we live a perfect life not because we worked hard for it, but because of God’s grace. Rev. Tan used to word ‘maintain’ to describe the reason why we do worship or quiet time, which is to maintain the union with God. To me, this is something to be very thankful towards God for. Without God’s grace and mercy, even how hard we work towards having a perfect life, we will not be able to achieve it. Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
 

Pastor Gideon went through with us biblical counselling and something I took away the most from it was that to effectively consult a person, the counsellor has to use love to reach out to the patient. It has always been puzzling to me how one could love another even when the patient is a stranger, worse if the patient happens to be someone you dislike. I feel that this is something I have to consciously pray about for God to make me into a person who can love others, even my enemies. 

Also, Pastor Gideon cautioned us not to “become a tool for people to become distant from God”. This statement struck me as it has never occurred to me that our intention of being encouraging could result in such dire consequences. It would be nice if he taught us exactly how to biblically encourage people of different situations so that we will be tools to bring people to God instead. Meanwhile, this reminds me to be careful with my words and rely more on God when I am faced with difficult counselling situations. At the end of the day, we had our ministry sharing with Pastor Gideon and other interns. 

After today’s session, I felt extremely encouraged and thankful for my fellow interns from other churches. They participated in our church’s ministry idea and were actively commenting and shaping the idea for us. They also assured us that they would support us throughout, which I am very thankful for since our idea is pretty large scale. I could even feel the love and pride for presbytery churches as they contributed and tried to make our fundraising idea more feasible and profitable. So, thank you guys, if you’re reading this!

Sharon Long

Roman Catholicism, Fragile Social Fabric, and True Worship - Sharon Long

This week’s sessions have been wonderfully enriching for me. I have gained so much insights and learnt so much more about Christianity, presbytery and its differences with other denominations.

The visitation to Church of St. Mary of the Angels was an eye-opening experience for me. As a 2nd generation Christian, I was taught since young to only focus on Christianity and was never given an opportunity to explore other religions. Catholicism has always been an intriguing area which I wanted to find out more. Thanks to STEP, last Sunday was the first time, and probably last time, I attended a mass.

Being unequipped with any prior knowledge about Catholicism, I was caught off guard by the smell of incense and the ringing of bells. I experienced the sprinkling of Holy Water onto my face and witnessed Holy Communion and saw how different our religions’ structures are. Honestly, it came to me as scary when they performed the rituals and chanting. However, it was also comforting to see that many have found Christ and are passionate towards serving Him, though our doctrines may differ. 

At the beginning of the week, we visited the Ministry of Home Affairs' Heritage Centre and learnt a lot about establishing peace between religions and races, and also about counter-terrorism. One thing that struck me regarding race and religion is how fragile our social fabric is. It reminds me to always be sensitive towards other religions and not shove my beliefs into their faces, something that I witnessed my friend doing towards her Muslim friend though they might be just joking around. Not only so, it reminds me to treat others with love no matter what race or religion they belong to, which, in my opinion, is very important in being a good testimony as a Christian.
 

On the same day, Rev. Tan Tiong Ann spoke to us regarding Christology and something he said left a deep impression in me. He mentioned about how the society is changing, and that Presbyterian churches need to stay relevant to the society, but also preserving. He quoted “worshipping the lamb, entertaining the sheep”, explaining that many churches have changed their worship styles to suit the youth, but at the same time unknowingly tweaked the meaning of worship. 

As a christian from a Mandarin-speaking congregation, there are many times where I find our congregation’s worship very dull and not as reviving as English congregations’. There were also many times where I look at videos by the mega-churches and envied their “sensational worship”. However, this quote reminded me that worshipping our God is our main objective and there is nothing wrong with non-sensational worship. We as the worshippers need not be entertained by loud or cool music to worship our Lord, but what we need is a heart of worship. This is definitely something I will share with my fellowship and inspire them to continue serving in the worship ministry.

Sharon Long

Counselling – When Love Creates Unlove - Changzhong

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

Preacher Gideon’s talk on counselling was very eye opening. He outlined the 4 steps that we have to consider carefully, in counselling others. We are to love, know, speak and do. The importance of the first two steps was illustrated by the short exercise of him posing as a pastor who seeks counsel, and the rest of us participants were put on 20 seconds rotation to counsel him. This exercise was very realistic, as it accurately depicted the fast paced nature of counselling, where the counsellor does not have the luxury of time to phrase an answer.

I found his emphasis on ‘Love’ and ‘Know’ when speaking others especially helpful, because oftentimes, in my haste to be of help, I do not actually help them. It is funny, isn’t it? How bad motives can taint good objectives. 

Preacher Gideon’s example was exactly on point, where he posed as a pastor who wanted to be so good that he became bad, because in doing everything himself, he forgot to rely on God. In trying to help the people around me, oftentimes, I allow my arrogance and pride to seep in and taint everything. 

Love means an invitation to them to change and reflect, instead of a dictation of how they should live, where I impose my presumptions, my own world view, and my assumptions upon them. What John Calvin said, that Preacher Gideon reiterated, is so true: The heart is deceitful. It coaxes me into believing that I am right, that what I am doing is justified, when I am simply slipping further and further from who Christ is.

Once again, this brings me back to the foot of the cross. There really is not much good in us. Even that little good is stained by sin. We are so fallen, so totally depraved. But then, all the more we need God. 

It is wondrous, really, that as I progress through STEP, I come to realise just how hateful I can be, and that growing realisation simply motivates me to approach the cross with greater contrition, and greater abandon. There is nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Changzhong

Evangelism - When Does Order Create Chaos? - Changzhong

The visit to Ministry of Home Affairs' Heritage Center made me realise, more now than ever, how fragile a multi racial society is, and how the slightest insensitivity can trigger social chaos.

Reflecting on recent times, although public sentiment is not as easily incited, in that people no longer resort to rioting or physical outbursts, a carelessly thought statement, or a view that infringes on the rights of others will not go unnoticed. This is especially so for the homosexual issue, where various churches and pastors have been heavily criticized over social media for their opinions.

These reflections have made me realise that in Singapore, in this world for that matter, a Christian will face many difficulties in fulfilling the great commission. To my knowledge, Christians are the most intentional in the spreading of their faith. Every church I know has an outreach and missions arm, and this is increasingly emphasized, as the world grows dimmer; as human decency slips and wavers.

Yet as we share, we do not always practice sensitivity, and oftentimes do more damage instead. This defeats the point of evangelism, which is, in my opinion, to provide a testimony of how Christ lives, and to spread the good news of His love and salvation. Instead, by attempting to order a chaotic world, we create more chaos instead.

Admittedly, that line is difficult to tread, and we risk either doing too little and retreating from outreach, or going too far, with the result that we step on the toes of others. This is a difficult issue that I continue to wrestle with. I think that there is no ‘one size fit all’ solution, because every Christian shares the faith differently, and every non-Christian receives the faith differently as well. 

Broadly speaking, I think that, to be effective testimonies and out-reachers, we must ultimately love, not just in the outward expression (the way we evangelise), but deep down in our inner most heart (how we feel towards those who have yet to receive Christ).

For what we are will be reflected in how we act.

Changzhong

Importance of History and the Impossibility to Live Without Faith - Wei Jun

Inspired by Ps. Tan's diagram on how God equates to truth and we are all under the coverings of Truth. The limit of God, as reflected in this diagram, is infinity.

The second part of the week started off interestingly with a presentation about the history of our churches. History classes had always been boring to me since secondary school days-I simply hated it. Today, in line with my academic pursuit and in this process of being forced to read up on historical accounts, I truly embrace the magic of history, providing a basis and foundation to the things currently around me.

The different presentations the rich history that many Presbyterian churches today encompass left me awed. Even the youngest church is somewhat linked to the oldest. Also, it was impressive to find out also that many youths within the Presbyterian churches, though not very fluent with Mandarin, still attempts to learn and not give up on learning Word in Chinese. Being an independent church, it is perhaps even easier for traditions to die. 

Currently, my church webpage has no proper and perhaps a lost historical account. On the task of presenting my church history to my fellow course mate, I realized how important historical roots could simply affect my sense of belonging to the church. I feel that it is important not to let the roots of our church die, and am looking forward to share what I have learnt to my fellow church mates in hopes that they would feel the same, further connection with our church.

A session with regards to Christianity and Science follows. The speaker uncovered how Science as a subject is on a different ground of comparison with our Faith. Simply, the conclusion derivate for both takes on a different approach: one deductive and one inductive in nature. Importantly, understanding that philosophy provides a framework for science to flourish would change one’s understanding of both entities. 

Limitations of Science are highlighted and the speaker reflected on how science cannot answer simple questions of our lives such as the purpose of our existence. (Simply, Science takes on conclusion based on experiments and observations, and this has limitations to how far it can explain certain phenomenon). Reflectively, it had always seemed to me that Science and Christianity are on opposite end of the spectrum and can never co-exist. 

However, this session taught me that the basis of comparing both in the first place lies on a different plane altogether and perhaps more, that “God is a foundation in which Science flourish” (as stated by the speaker). The session helped to open my perspective, better reflecting upon the positions that both Science and Christianity undertake. In the world of materialism and objectivity, it is also important to remember that everything we do entails the notion of faith; hence it is impossible to live a life without faith.

Wei Jun

Worship's Broader Basis - Wei Jun

Picture taken in Bethel Presbyterian Church: Stepping into the colors and lights reflected by the stained glass window, that is the heart of worship.

As children of God, we are called to worship Him everyday of our lives, that is what we are made for. The start of this week realigned my views on worship. Ps. Tan Tiong Ann highlighted three important points with regards to worship: Worship is more than a list of things to do, Worship is inherent in us and Worship is a divine and human encounter.

Looking at worship on a broader basis, differing denominations would have different ways of carrying out their services. While variations exist with regards to the way worship is carried out, who are we to say that one is "on the right track" of worshipping or not? Importantly, we need to worship in accordance to who God is and this should be stemmed from Word. Ultimately, one need to recognize that God is our judge and we were all supposed to be called "one church in Christ". There is no such thing as “THE church” to be in. Rather than a quick pin-point of who is right or wrong, no matter how far we go, our aim as Christians is simply to win hearts for Christ, to see lives being transformed, and this could take forms in different ways. God does not subject to limits and simple demarcations and classifications. So it is important for us not to box God up. Simply put, our identity is found within Christ and the issue of differing interpretation shouldn’t stop us or judge others from worshiping Him.

On a personal basis, the little faith in me sometimes doubt too my encounter with God through worship. I had wondered before if the atmosphere of worship creates that sensation felt in me, that I am perhaps creating my own “experiences” through worship sessions. However, Ps. Tan highlighted the importance of setting apart the functionality of worshipping and simply needing to respond to the experiences created within worship. Importantly, we need to move in accordance to the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the anointing, perhaps given by grace during worship. Worship is not a ritualistic process, but a time where our hearts are touched and moved by God. The act of being moved by God, could then also be termed as an act of worship.

I also acknowledge that it can be difficult to keep my heart purely focused on God during worship at times. Being relatively young to guitar playing, I get easily nervous playing infront of others and especially self-conscious (Of course there would be more skilled players in the crowd. What if I break the momentum of worship? What if I play the wrong note?). Ps Tan further questioned, “what sort of attitude do we have while we worship?” Ultimately, placing the best musician on stage does not necessary equate to the best worship experience (Then, why not go to a concert for a good song?). It is not about how well I can serve (God has the best musicians in heaven, I am certain) but worshipping in accordance to who God is (encompassing and embracing the relationship shared with him through worship). At the end of the day, it is the heart of worship that truly matters.

Wei Jun

Lessons From Pastors - Adriel Yeo

The time spent in the Synod Training & Exposure Programme has been extremely meaningful for me. Personally, I felt that it was a great time of break where I could spend more time reflecting and consolidating my thoughts which in turn helped me to develop more as a person rather than a ministry worker. 



Sometimes, so much time can be spent on ministry work that it starts to take over our life. Eventually, we may find ourselves needing ministry more than it needs us. Our lives become engulfed in planning events, meeting up with people within our ministry and perhaps even preparing for bible study. Slowly, our joy and excitement for the Lord diminishes. We start off as passionate workers for God and end up as passionate workers for work. 

The past two weeks however, provided me with the opportunity to rest, learn, think deeper about my calling and recharge so that I may enter ministry refreshed. The lessons on John Calvin’s theology and the reconciliation of religion and science served well as an equipping tool in understanding church liturgy and tackling tough issues that our fellow friends may ask concerning the relationship between faith and science. 



While I have been thoroughly enjoying this process of learning, interacting with fellow Christians from other churches and even catching up with people from my own church, I do wonder and spend time thinking about the work and effort put into all these sessions and activities. Throughout the entire session, there will always be at the very least one pastor around. Sometimes, the pastors have to juggle between going back to their own church for meetings and then coming back again. While they are here, work back at the office is piling up on them. Some may even have to pick their child up from school and return back again. Yet without fail, they happily and joyfully appear to sit in with us (or at least they look happy). 

Looking at it from a broader perspective, the learning that takes place is not limited to the speaker who gets the stage and happens to be teaching us something. It also extends to the pastors who quietly plans and faithfully looks out for us. They teach us something too. Theirs may not be heard or seen as visibly as the speakers that are invited but it is perhaps more real than anything we’ve heard so far because we can observe how it is lived out. May be in the midst of trying to absorb whatever we can learn from the speakers, we have missed out how much we can learn from these pastors who have dutifully committed their time for our very own spiritual growth.

Adriel Yeo

Because God Is With Us! (Week 2) - Crystal Tang

Talk by Rev Tan Tiong Ann on Theology of Worship & Sacrament
Ever since I became a Christian in secondary 1, I have always been told that BIBLE = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. For a few years after accepting Christ, I could not understand what instructions they had, except for the commandments that were found in the old and new testaments. However, this thought have been debunked by Rev. Tan today as he spoke of how the bible SHOULD NOT become our instruction manual! Phew! 

In addition, I was much comforted by the fact that we are worshipping in the presence of God ALL THE TIME. Just because we don't "feel" the presence of God, does not mean that He is not present when we pray or worship Him with songs of adoration. Mentioned in John 6, the spirit of Christ is with us! Therefore, we don't need to fast just because we want to be in God's presence, but rather, do so because God is already here with us! This is what John Calvin says on music as a form of art in worship: "and certainly if singing is tempered to a gravity befitting the presence of God and angels, it both gives dignity and grace to sacred actions, and has a very powerful tendency to stir up the mind to true zeal and ardor in prayer. We must, however, carefully beware, lest our ears be more intent on the music than our minds on the spiritual meaning of the words." Indeed what a reminder to us worshippers of God! 

I wished I could read Latin, Greek and Hebrew! I'm sure the words and original literatures would come alive at once (provided the fluent reading and comprehension is present). Time to get really excited for this Honours year to be over and explore all these wonderful and meaningful opportunities! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

 

As much as reluctance hits for the second week of STEP to come to an end, my heart is constantly filled with gratitude for everything that happened. I specially want to thank God for the memorable fellowship and pastoring received through the program. Certainly, none of us came here by chance and it has been encouraging to be together with people of common goals and visions. To me, this experience has been a refreshing and healing one. I couldn’t help but thank God further for each and every one of you!   

As we sang the song ‘One Voice’ and ‘The Church is One Foundation’ during devotion on Wednesday, I couldn’t help but smile. I have sung this song umpteen times before but that was a special experience. For once, I could reconcile so much with the lyrics as flashbacks of the times we had at STEP program ran through my mind. Instantly, my heart was warmed. One Lord, One faith, One birth…and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued…

Crystal Tang

Beyond the Heart of Expectancy (Week 2 Day 1&2) - Crystal Tang

Great friends and dinner conversation at Food For Thought!

I entered the second week of STEP with mixed feelings. Throughout the weekend, I was really excited to meet everyone, to learn from the seminars organized and all. Yet on the other hand, I was hoping that time did not pass so fast towards the end of the program. But, there was something more to that. 

Having been through the entrance week, I was left with a question that many would also have -- WHAT EXACTLY HAS GOD PLANNED FOR ME? With that, I began the second week of word and sacrament with a heart of expectancy. Day one of this week began really nicely. After a visit to the Ministry of Home Affairs' Heritage Center, we gathered at Bethel Presbyterian Church for the second half of our day.

Talk by Rev Tan Tiong Ann on Christology 

I sat in this talk expecting (once again, all these expectations flooding my little heart) it to be a super theological talk. I say this because of a prior reading by Dr. David Hocking's "Christology - the doctrine of Jesus Christ". Just a simple glimpse in the content page of that writing would bring you to 14 different sessions mentioned within the writing. To name a few, they range from the pre-existence of Christ, messianic claims of Christ, Deity of Christ and all the way to the second coming of Christ. 

However, I was amazed when Rev. Tan began his session speaking about the importance of Chinese and languages in the spread of gospel. Nonetheless, I spent the first half of his talk wondering how that would link to Christology. Soon enough, I was really encouraged that he has a heart for primary sources, encouraging us to learn the original language of Latin and French in order to comprehend the writings of Calvin. Although he summarized the really brief history of what he would probably teach in a few sessions, the content given during his sharing was good enough to stir those little peas in the pot. My greatest take away from this session was the advice to integrate both missions and pastoral ministry!

Youth Sharing 

I must admit I left Bethel Presbyterian Church feeling burdened. It isn't the usual mind of burden regarding school exams and all (although I am currently in the midst of one). It was an unusual burden of someone poking my hearts really deep, as if trying to ask "are you there? May I come?". That evening, I went home and rushed for the piano and began worshipping God through lots and lots of songs. I knew I was trying to search for a sense of relief, an answer to what was going on. 

I must admit too, that listening to Marianne Hui's sharing left me welling up in silent tears. I had so much in common with what she shared. From deferring university to serve (for the same amount of time too), the blessings received in terms of scholarships and results, the struggles faced listening to God when selecting a course and so on. I couldn't reconcile more, except for the lack of courage to complete a half-written book. I knew God was saying something to me through her sharing but I was not ready to listen. I found it so hard to pray that night, so much so that only songs could represent what I want to cry out to God. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling excited. En route to ORPC, I whispered a silent prayer and asked "God, what is it that you want me to do? How can I serve you with the talents that you have blessed me so?" Immediately, an insurmountable peace filled my heart as all the noise, crowd and sardine packed morning train rides appeared oblivious to me. I waited, and God prompted.

Crystal Tang

My Faith Grew - Alethea Lim

On the third and fourth days of the STEP programme, we had the opportunity to visit Trinity Theological College (TTC) and Singapore Bible College (SBC) and attend the various talks given by the academia staff. I was astounded at all of the things I’ve learnt about God and the Bible from them, and I find my faith growing stronger as I learnt more. 

Devotions for the past week truly spoke to me, particularly the devotion for the third day where we discussed about whether we are qualified to serve. Oftentimes I feel that I am inferior to many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and that I cannot match up to what they are capable of doing. However, God has consoled me through the passages and video shared during the devotion, and I am assured of the fact that God can still use me no matter what shortcomings I have, and that is very reassuring. 

On the topic of the talks, they were very intriguing and intellectually stimulating. Through the talks, I have learnt about what theological education means, and the importance of theological education for church ministry and social engagement. In learning about the meaning of theological education and what it entails, as well as the purposes of being theologically educated, it puts spiritual growth, church ministry and social engagement in an entirely new perspective. 

For example, I have learnt that indirect theological education plays such a vital role in the church. In the way we conduct worship and meetings, say our prayers, and dress when we are attending church, we are in fact indirectly conveying our understanding of God and our faith and this may have an impact on other Christians’ understanding of God and the Bible. Additionally, on the aspect of social engagement, I have learnt the theological importance of social services and engagement in social issues, the latter being something I usually shy away from. However, after learning more about the importance of such social engagement, I think it is more appropriate for me to start learning about these issues and reflect on what can be done as an individual as well as a church. 

I have also learnt more about the Old Testament and the New Testament through attending the talks, in particular how Bible Study should be conducted, as well as the topics of prophecy and creation and the Book of Revelations. It is simply amazing how much there is to find out and learn by conducting Bible Study in a certain manner, that is, to consider the genres, linguistic analysis, historical context, and literary context, and makes me wonder if something similar can be done for the Bible Study sessions in my own church fellowship. At the same time, I can see the beauty of God in both ideas of creatio ex nihilo and creatio ex chaos, and even in the order of His creation. It is such an incredible perspective to learn about.

By linking what I have heard in the talk about Christianity in Southeast Asia to the previous talk about the Presbyterian movement in colonial times, once again I am able to see God’s presence and guidance in the way Christianity spread in Southeast Asian history. There were quite a few interesting points I’ve learnt, such as whether colonialism can be linked to Christianity, and how the pre-existing cultures in certain countries may have an impact on the way Christianity grew in those countries. There is also something to continue reflecting upon, which I have learnt from the talk, and that is the role of contextualisation especially in overseas mission work.

Finally, I have also learnt more about youth ministry and the various problems that it is facing today. I hope to be able to apply what I’ve learnt by considering the context of the youth ministry in my own church and what possible improvements or initiatives can be made to continue strengthening the youths spiritually so that we would be able to make a difference in our church together.

Alethea Lim

Presbyterian Distinctive Clarifies Presbyterian Mission - Alethea Lim

Over just the first two days of the STEP programme, there was already a lot of excitement and joyful yet contemplative fellowshipping together with the other interns as we were brought together orientation on the first day and introduced to the Presbyterian history, distinctive, as well as its movement in the colonial past and the Singapore Synod’s organisational structure. On the first day itself, we were already quick in breaking the ice and having fun sharing about ourselves and learning about others. It was certainly a fantastic start to the STEP programme.
 

Aside from team-building games, the introduction to the STEP programme and its purposes filled me with anticipation. A broad spectrum of topics will be covered over the three weeks, aiming to equip other interns as well as myself with the exposure and knowledge that can be beneficial to our respective churches and the ministries we may be serving in. I believe it will be an eye-opening experience guided by God.
 

The second day has already met that expectation through the various talks. Prior to joining this programme, I did not know the differences between the different Christian denominations and the characteristics of a Presbyterian despite having grown up in a Presbyterian church. I also did not know anything about the Presbyterian history and movement, neither was I clear about the Singapore Synod’s organisational structure.
 

Now, however, I have learnt many interesting points about these topics. For example, a Presbyterian distinctive is its focus on education and literacy, and the movement of Presbyterianism in Singapore can be explained by occurrences taking part in different parts of the world. In listening to these talks, I can see God’s presence and guidance in the way Christianity spread and grew to how it is in modern times, and I feel very encouraged by it because it is an illustration of how the sowing of seeds in people from other countries, particularly China, is able to grow into the harvest that is Singapore Christianity, particularly Singapore Presbyterianism, today. This has further reinforced the Bible’s teachings about the importance of planting the spiritual seeds. At the same time, it is an illustration of how God will surely pave a way for the growth of mission and the spreading of the Gospel despite opposition or an external force’s attempt at stopping the growth of Christianity.
 

In addition, learning about the Presbyterian distinctive and history has given me a clearer picture of the mission and purpose of Presbyterians. As my church has recently celebrated its 130th anniversary last year and the milestones over these 130 years, I hope that, with the new knowledge I have been equipped, I will be able to see how my church’s growth in respect to its mission and vision as a Presbyterian church in Singapore aligns with the purpose and distinctive of Presbyterianism.
 

With so much excitement and informative sessions in the first two days, I hope that the spirit of the programme can be maintained for the rest of the three weeks and enable me to learn even more together with the other interns.

Alethea Lim

Presbyterians' Immense Contribution to Society - Elvira Tan

This week, we learnt briefly about Presbyterian history. During the lessons, one thing that really struck me was the revolutionary contributions to society by Presbyterians in the past. They really played a key role in changing and improving the landscape for various aspects of society. 

For example, we learnt that the Scottish Presbyterians contributed a lot to literacy and education. The first encyclopedia was published in Scotland. Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher came out with a well-known theory that is widely used in economics today. In addition, Andrew Melville, the founder of Scottish Presbyterianism who completely established the current Presbyterian system, was the principle of Glasgow University. Through his stint as principle, he helped to restore the school from its dying state. He introduced a new syllable system where teachers teach a specialized subject rather than the class having the same teacher for all four years. And indeed, this is now the system adopted in universities worldwide. 

In addition, many Presbyterians also helped to promote education in the various places they were in by building schools and providing education for the locals. For example in Singapore, the Presbyterians set up Presbyterian High School, Kuo Chuan Primary and Secondary School, and Pei Hwa Primary School, among others. This provided education opportunities for the locals and increased education standards among them. It can be seen that the past Presbyterians had such a huge influence and impact on society.

These revolutionary contributions to society must have been a great testament to and witness for the powerful God they worshipped! Seeing how wise and generous these Presbyterian forefathers were must have ignited the curiosity in the people about this God that they are so open in proclaiming about. Seeing how they were so influential in the academic arena really reminded me of Solomon. He asked God for wisdom, and his wisdom was unparalleled in all the earth and was known far and wide throughout the world. And yet, these academic fathers that people look up to, and even Solomon, displayed a human wisdom that is but a small shadow and reflection of God’s infinite wisdom. 

The God who created the heavens and the earth, from the whole universe down to the smallest cell, His wisdom is infinite and far beyond what we can imagine. He is the founder of science, the holder of knowledge beyond the best encyclopedia.

At Trinity Theological College (TTC), we were reminded of theological reasons why Christians engage in social work. Aside from the equally important pragmatic reason of being a good testimony which can lead to sharing of the gospel, doing good is also a show of Christian hospitality towards Christians and strangers. This was something that Jesus himself did, and said that we should do. 

This principle was shown very clearly by the father of Crystal, one of the interns. Her parents run a family transport business, and thus have many vehicles for transport, from 14 seaters to 49 seaters. Out of the graciousness and kindness of his heart, he personally drove 13 of us in the big school bus to TTC, because many of us did not know how to go. That was really a touching display of Christian hospitality towards fellow Christians, and of how God has placed each one of us in our various vocations for a reason, whether it is to bless fellow Christians and non-Christians, or to be a good testimony for God, pointing others to Him wherever He puts us.

Elvira Tan

God Is Sovereign - Elvira Tan

From this week’s lessons, God’s sovereignty came across very strongly. We saw very clearly from history how God furthers His kingdom through selfish human agenda.  

At the synod office and later on at Singapore Bible College, we learnt briefly about how Christianity came to Southeast Asia. In the past, all the Southeast Asian countries except for Thailand were colonized by the European powers. The Spanish colonized Philippines, the Dutch colonized Indonesia, and the British colonized Singapore, among many others. 

The first reason for the colonization of many Southeast Asian countries was the precious materials available in these countries, and the European powers wanted to gain ownership of these materials, and thus export these materials back to their home country. Singapore, which, together with Malacca and Indonesia became known as the Straits Settlements, was colonized for its convenient location, and was used as a trading port for the shipping of these materials. 

However, even though the Europeans colonized the Southeast Asian countries for trade, with the purpose of bringing prosperity to themselves, Christianity was brought to Southeast Asia because of this act. By establishing governments in the various Southeast Asia countries, these colonial powers provided the infrastructure that facilitated the spread of missions. With their home country’s government being established in the colony, Christian missionaries will thus feel secure to leave their home country and go to these foreign nations.
 

This was a very impactful testament of the sovereignty of God. Man may rebel against God all they want but through the selfish desires and actions of man, God has and will continue to further His kingdom. Nothing that man do is able to stop him.  

This is just a great reminder of the sovereignty and greatness of God, how He has, is, and will continue to be in control of everything. Everything that happens is part of God’s plan. This brought to mind the greatest example of how our sovereign and omniscient God accomplished His plan through the evilness of man. And that greatest example is the gospel. 

Man tried to kill the precious son of God because of their refusal to believe in Him, yet it is precisely through the worst execution method in history that God fulfilled the greatest redemptive plan for mankind. When we look back at how everything fit so perfectly into God’s plan, one can only but marvel at the perfect wisdom of our God. Oh, how finite our human comprehension is, and yet, sadly, how infinite our arrogance is. When faced with trials of many kinds, may God grant us the trust in His sovereignty and perfect wisdom.

Elvira Tan

Theology In Song - Matthew Saw

Today we went to TTC, and Dr. Simon Chan spoke on how a theological education was important. He raised many important points on how we often apply and display our theological realities in direct and indirect ways. When Dr. Chan spoke on how the songs we sing need to be theologically consistent with the verses they take their inspiration from, I began thinking about the songs that we sing every week. They hold a power over us, and yet we often choose songs by emotion and “feeling”, without stopping to consider its truth.
 

Songs hold a high position in our hearts and minds. We may quote song lyrics as often as we quote Bible verses, and for many, the songs they sing on Sunday are how they remember the truths of God. Andrew Fletcher, Scottish politician and poet writes: “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” 

Music is a direct conduit into our heart, piercing through the intellectual barriers we erect, straight to where it hits us the hardest. Even men know the power music has on others, and themselves. Music and the heart are bound together, and God intended it so, so that we may worship Him with music, with our heart. 

The composer of the hymn “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder”, James M. Black, describes an “inner voice” calling him to write a song, and obeyed it. He says: “The words came to me effortlessly…The tune came the same way – I dared not change a single note or word.” God uses music, and encourages us in His Word to worship Him with “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” We need to ensure that we sing songs that contain truth, and protect the backdoor to our hearts from emotion based on falsehood.

Sin has wormed its way into our songs, and not all Christian music we hear is good. Artists are temperamental, and may not bear the same theological rigour that our clergy has. Just compare the old hymns with some of the contemporary Christian music (CCM) that we hear. Hymn-writers would take great pains to craft lyrics that are full of truth, and it is these truth-filled songs that endure the test of time, not the trashy, individualistic and emotionalist music that permeates CCM today. 

Despite our Presbyterian background, I think that in many churches there is no system in place to analyse incoming worship songs for consistency within the song and with God’s Word, especially in the youth ministry. Without the wisdom that comes with being an experienced worship leader, or the support of a network of mature Christians and clergymen who are passionate about the arts, it is easy for the youth worship service to degenerate into a purely emotional experience.
 

I have not even begun to talk about the indirect aspects of theology that our songs imply, but for now I think that is enough. I have realised the importance of rigorous theological analysis and critique of the lyrical content of the songs in church. New material is great, but we must never forget that we must never compromise the truth. 

Truths about God are timeless, and neglecting the hymns and singing only ‘emo’ or ‘exciting’ songs is a surefire way to forget what worshipping “in truth” is supposed to be like. True adoration and praise occurs when the truth in our minds connects with the convictions of our hearts, and our emotions arise from truths in the Bible. Without theologically consistent lyrics, our worship is idolatry, and we are only pouring adoration upon a man-made god that makes us feel good.

Matthew Saw

STEP: Where I Discover My Roots - Matthew Saw

Prof. Lee Soo Ann

Presbyterianism had always been a mystery to me. Although I am (technically) a 3rd generation Christian, my parents changed churches multiple times when I was younger, and for a long period of time, stopped attending altogether. I had to discover the love of God through Christ the hard way (not through my parents explaining it to me), and thus never really got why we would divide ourselves into denominations, and all that complicated governance stuff. 

Part of this problem comes from the fact that many of my contemporaries don’t actually know what Presbyterianism is all about, how our style of church governance defines us, and have forgotten many of the core tenets, motivations, and beliefs that our founding fathers held on to.

I believe that this holds true for many young laypeople, and even young leaders of the church. Have we forgotten that education of the next generation was one of the principles that Presbyterians in the beginning believed in? 

They were so firm in their practice of that principle, that Presbyterian clergymen were described as some of the most learned men of their time. God warns that “those who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). With our history in education, there are very strong reasons why those holding teaching positions in Presbyterian ministry should start taking their theology, and our history, seriously. 

That aside, our history contains our identity as Presbyterians. With this rich culture behind us, if we were to once again draw close to that history, it would give us a richer appreciation for the formation of many aspects of church life. I believe that by empowering youths with this knowledge, we can start to restore God’s original purpose for the Presbyterian Church.

I love how I now finally know the roots of my denomination. Knowing where it came from, how it spread through the world, and how it has shaped what we see now blew my mind. I was amazed at the rich tradition and culture of education and knowledge that the Presbyterians had. They had a love for God and a love for the Word, and were respected by people. They set up schools, printed educational materials, and brought people God’s Word in their native languages. 

I hope that I can carry this Presbyterian tradition and history with me, and make a positive move back toward our theology and principles.

Matthew Saw

We Are Blessed Leaders by God's Grace - Peter Fu

There were 2 questions that were very similar in nature that left an impression during these devotions. The main idea was that whether we are qualified/worthy to serve in the house of our God. Both devotions seems to draw the conclusion that no matter how small or unqualified we were, it should not discourage us from serving as the Lord will use even the weakest among us for His purpose. This concept is not entirely wrong.

The way the questions were phrased suggests that we need to first realise our insignificance before coming forward in service. However what I personally feel is that sometimes God calls us into service exactly because we think we are ready for Him. It could be either a very humble situation when you took up that role confident and then see how much more there is to be done at the position and how ill-prepared you were. This is where we can learn, develop and look up to the Lord for guidance. 

Or God could have already equipped you with all the necessary skills to do the task. You are ready and He is just waiting for you to take that initiative to come forward and serve. When I was asked to lead bible study in my cell group, I was not hesitant to say yes. The sessions I had in CVCF had already equipped me with many skills and I knew I was able to lead the bible study. Thinking oneself as qualified doesn't equivalate to pride. We just have to keep in mind that our wisdom comes from God and there are always things unknown to us.
 

There seems to be an overemphasis on we must first see how low we are and then by God’s grace we can take up leadership position. We are always low/unworthy when compared to God’s standards but among men we could be the more blessed ones. Thus, I don't think realising how earthly unqualified we were is the first step before committing into service.

Peter Fu

STEP: A Glimpse of Kingdom and God's People - Peter Fu

It was really heartening to see so many people on the first day of STEP. It shows that there are people who have a passion for the Lord and are willing to forgo their holidays to know more about Him and the Presbyterian. On top of that, even though we were strangers, we were open, honest and willing to share our stories with each other on the first day. I believe we Christians are called to live to be Christ-like to bring forward the kingdom through us into the world. I felt I had a glimpse of that within this program.

It’s nice and all that but it struck me that I was in an ideal Christian community (a utopia) not found within the larger church community. The youths I met and got to know are not the ‘real’ people I’ll meet in a local church. Even though the feelings and people are real, it is the community we strive to become but not the type I’ll be serving in. 

The STEP gathered like-minded youths who love God and have a burning passion for Him. It is a good thing as we gather to exchange our ideas on theologies, discusses issues we face in life and pray for each other.  However these feelings are all an illusion as our community are far from being represented by these youths. It saddens me that this is not the type of fellowship I see in my own school or church. In usual circumstances, we aren’t so open to share the difficulties we have in life.

In theory, we (youths in STEP and people in church) are all Christians and body of the Christ. Then why are we behaving differently? Why let the usual circumstances be different from the ideal community described in the bible? 

These are important questions for the leaders to ponder and come up with practical ways to transform the church. Hope that God will use us greatly and let all of us here be the sparks that will start the renewal in our various ministries/churches.

Peter Fu

Indirect Theological Education – Music Worship - Hoi Wen

A simple prayer can reveal our theological understanding, the lyrics of the songs we sing can very subtly influence our theology. Why do we enjoy worshipping God in the form music? Is it because we were created to praise Him and on that day when we see Him face to face all will break into song praising Him? Church music worship is such an important part of a believer’s journey and a lot theology seeps into us at a deeper level through song and lyrics.

Martin Luther said, “The prophets attached their theology not to geometry, nor to arithmetic, nor to astronomy, but to music, speaking the truth through psalms and hymns.” What kind of theology is translated through our modern worship songs today? I find many contemporary songs to be very focused on me and not on God and are more suitable for solo singing rather than congregational singing. There is a time and occasion for different songs, how can a church balance this well?

I’m reminded of my time singing in the Singapore Bible College Hymn Festival last year and how every musical note and change in key or tempo carry the rich theology of these hymns to greater expressions of who God is and how worthy He is to be praised.

Let us praise God for His glory shown through our weaknesses and let us be mindful of how we worship God in His holy presence.

Au Yong Hoi Wen

Theology Must Empower the Church - Joshua Xie

During the lecture by Dr. Clive Chin, he mentioned that he had met a (unknown) seminary graduate who was apprehensive about going back to church to serve because he/she could not reconcile what he/she learnt during seminary and what was happening in reality. 

That was really disturbing for me. It is both ridiculous and saddening at the same time, when a seminary graduate implies that the things being taught in theological college is not able to prepare them in leading the church and community. Theology is the study of who God is. It really is ludicrous that the understanding of who God is would have no relevance in helping the church grow. 

Dr. Clive Chin as well as Dr. Simon Chan both touched about “what it means to be theologically educated” and “the importance of theological education for church ministry and social engagements”. This brings me to the purpose of learning theology. Why is there a need to learn about, to understand God? 

Most personally, it is to live a God centered life, having a Christian world view to analyze and discern the world as it is, and to respond in a way that glorifies this God that we worship. Upon having a deeper understand about the larger context, putting everything in perspective, church leaders also have the duty to foster spiritual growth among the congregation and even to administer to people who may even be out of their comfort zone. To keep theological education purely as head knowledge without ministering to God’s sheep would be failing God’s purpose of electing us as leaders.
 

Living in today’s society, it would be impossible to close both eyes to problems happening in and out of church. I believe that having that genuine heart to love God and his people would eventually lead us seeking His will to guide His people in Jesus’ footsteps even in this dark world. Dedicating our lives to aims and objectives not because of obligation but rather because of that Godly love for our brothers and sisters. Our God is omniscient and just. As Psalms 139 says:

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways... 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Even as things may sometimes become a routine, or boring, my prayer is that we would hold on to that love for God and His works, His grace will always be enough (2 Cor 12:9) despite whatever weakness we have. Through the Holy Spirit, may His will be revealed (1 Cor 2:10)to how leaders should protect His sheep.

Joshua Xie

STEP: Communal Enthusiasm for God - Joshua Xie

As my first piece of reflection, I would like to start starting feelings about STEP as well as what I see or hope to see myself becoming at the end of these 3 weeks. I’ll take this as a mini goal setting for myself, or at least a starting point to where I am to grow (no matter how little). 

I am currently waiting to matriculate into NUS, in August. I had just ended my stint as a relief teacher and was just wondering what I was going to do for the next few months. Then, one random day, I was informed about an internship opportunity by Synod. At first, I was apprehensive, as I had participated in a church internship 2 years ago. However, when I found out that the other 4 participants from my church were also ex-interns, I decided to give it a go. It was a spontaneous decision, and I did not know what to expect.
 

Yesterday, 18 May, a random number (Nic Khaw) suggested meeting up for breakfast. That single suggestion sparked a whole varied response, which really made the whole Whatsapp group chat more “friendly”. One (Benedict) sent a cute picture, one (Matthew) sang a beautiful response. It was really spontaneous and even though we did not know many, we just met up to get to know one another. It was pretty amazing.  

The enthusiasm and excitement really got to me knowing that there were others who shared the same anticipation for this new journey. Meeting up early in the morning for you tiao and dau huay with potential new friends made everything seem more exciting.  Getting to know them better during the icebreakers and brainstorming of questions about New and Old Testament fueled this eagerness about the next 3 weeks. Meeting church youth leaders who have the same passion for Christ refreshing and I am really looking forward to the many things that we learn with and from each other.
 

There was one particular moment that made me suddenly aware of my lacking. During the discussion about preparing for devotion, another group requested for a change in date with my group (from Day 1 to Day 5). My immediate reaction was “Noooo!”  Then there was a short awkward silence. Adriel, on the other hand, very composed. He had a thoughtful look on his face and then he replied slowly, “Hmmm… I guess that would not be much of a problem.” (And to be honest, it was not a problem at all.) But that moment made me rethink about my response. It was really inappropriate. 

My reaction totally did not go through my brain at all, it was uncalled for and was definitely not how a youth leader should have reacted. Adriel’s reaction was definitely given more thought and hence he was able to respond in a much more appropriate manner. I personally feel that a leader should at least display certain ability in thinking through his decisions before responding, something that was not very integral in me. But I believe recognizing one’s lacking is the first step in seeking improvement. I am really glad that the Lord has brought me here. Not only am I able to fortify my understand about Him but I’m sure that He will help me become better prepared to step up to my duties through interaction with other youth leaders. No matter how lacking we may seem now, through Him all it possible. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
 

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Joshua Xie

Insight on Christianity in Southeast Asia by Dr. Lee Soo Ann and Dr. Violet James - Lim Min

Prior to my participation in STEP, the little knowledge I had about Singapore and the region caused me to have minimal appreciation of the presence of Christianity in our small island. Dr Lee Soo Ann gave a brief introduction to the history of Colonial Singapore and how Christianity entered the region, while Dr Violet James gave a deeper analysis of how the colonial powers have brought their religions into Southeast Asia and impacted the countries even until today.

A  revelation that I had was about the impacts of the Spanish and Dutch colonial powers on their colonies Philippines and Indonesia respectively. The Spanish enforced Roman Catholicism onto the Philippinos and restricted the Muslim community to Mindanao, which continues to be the hub of Islamic activity today. Whereas the Dutch were focused on their trading businesses and neglected the evangelism of Reformed Protestantism in Indonesia. These moves may have significant contribution to the national religion of Philippines and Indonesia today, with Philippines being the only Catholic country in the region and Indonesia becoming the largest Muslim country in the world.

Despite the ‘mistakes’ made by past colonial powers, I believe that Christianity still has a place in Indonesia and other areas where Christianity remains to be a minor religion. God is working in places with Islam as major religions, sending great missionaries and pastors to minister to His people and strengthen their faith in tough times. I feel that one of the great missionaries of our times is Dr Stephen Tong who has converted millions of Christians in our region including Indonesia. I remembered how amazed I was when I learnt about his missionary work and it only reminded me that my God is even greater because of how He sends and equips His people who participate in His mission.

I hope that the youths of my generation may serve God willingly and joyfully and may the words of Jesus Christ be remembered in our hearts. “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send our labourers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9: 37-38) These verses shared during one of the morning devotions left a deep impression on me and reminded me that there are many times when we may be stuck in our comfort zone, being ignorant of the needs of the people around us and not pointing them to God. Hence, the sharings by Dr. Simon Chan and Dr. Violet James were good wake up calls to be sensitive to the needs of others in local and overseas missions and also appreciate the history of Christianity in our region.

Lim Min

Thoughts on Dr. Simon Chan's Talk - Lim Min

Through the talk on the importance of theological education in church ministry and social engagement by Dr Simon Chan, I have learnt that indirect theological education in church may have a larger impact on the congregation due to its subtle influence. He mentioned several aspects of indirect theological education, including worship, prayer, dress code and behaviour. These reminded me that although such activities may not explicitly express any theological doctrines, they are actually revealed and possibly learnt in a subtle manner which may have a greater influence in church than direct theological education such as bible study.

An example he elaborated on was how worship revealed the theology of the worship leaders and of the church through the songs that were sung and the basis of their composition. It challenged me to think more deeply about the songs that I lead in my own fellowship and youth service as I may not be aware of how much influence the hymns and worship songs may have on the theological thought of a young believer. I sincerely hope that more worship leaders and even the congregation would put more thought into worship, to worship not only in spirit but also in truth. Worship leaders may analyse the lyrics and their biblical basis deeper, while worshippers may meditate more on the lyrics during worship. Then, we might be following closer to what Jesus commanded us to do in John 4: 23 - 24. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

Worshipping in spirit and truth like what Jesus commanded us to do is not an easy task, for it is a fine line between balance of spirit and truth in our worship. Too often worship leaders may be focused on how to bring the congregation to a climax during worship, choosing specific songs probably not based on their biblical basis but on how the song heightens the atmosphere during worship. In my opinion, it may be helpful for youths to learn from history, when churches sing songs from the hymnals and understood the context and background of various hymns.

All in all, the main lesson I gained from this talk was the subtle influence that indirect theological education may have on the church. This may shape the way I worship, pray and dress — in order to represent the theology that I hold on to in an intentional manner and to bring glory to God. I also hope that my church may continue to pursue theological education and reform our church, to know God in a holistic manner and honour Him in all that we do. Perhaps, we should be reflecting on how worship is being conducted and practice the theological knowledge that we have gained in order to follow Jesus’s commandment of worshipping in spirit and truth.

Lim Min

I Have A Date with Spring - Willy Lau

2 days of attending theological lessons left me with a sense of nostalgia. Reminiscing exactly 10 years ago where I graduated from TTC, got married, became a pastor and have my first baby all in the same year, I found myself sitting in a strangely familiar classroom setting but this time, everyone around me are at last 10 years younger than me. #Flashback, #Throwback, where has all my youth gone? What??!!? 3 kids already? Where are the days where I gone diving, sailing and backpacking in Europe/Mongolia/Bhutan/Tibet, etc? 

Looking at the pastor’s kids and pastor-to-be kids among this group of people, I whispered a prayer that my kids will join STEP too when they grow up. Sunrise, sunset and it goes on and on. I thank God for regularity. I thank God for ORDER. Am I a spiritual chemist? Am I a farmer? The choice is mine to take. Is there a correlation of colonization and Christianity? As a person who is against colonization, advising people against bringing Hillsongs to the hills (be it the hill tribes in Myanmar/Camobodia/Indonesia or any parts of the world) or even to our own churches for that matter, Dr. Violet James did make me rethink if there is anything positive that colonization has brought to this region.

Dr. Calvin Chong gave an impressive lecture on youth ministry today and it was truly engaging. An artist indeed while my mind has already transported to the fact that I would be going for Affordable Art Fair that very evening. Interestingly however, while driving to meet Peter before the fair, God showed me that he is the greatest artist by showing me this. 

After that, I can only say the company and friends I met were more attractive and mesmerizing than the paintings on the wall.

Pr. Willy Lau

Synod Youth Executive

STEP: Great Way to Learn from Others - Grace Yong

This reflection will be about something that struck me after the discussion with my church mates during the seminar time period on Tuesday. We spent a long time discussing about the different ministries in our church and the different needs or obstacles that our church is facing. We shared about our past experiences serving in the respective ministries and the troubles or failures that we had met with. We also discussed about our aims and possible solutions or directions we could head towards. 

As we discussed and filled our church whiteboard with words and arrows all around, everything seemed very complicated and daunting, like there were so many obstacles, barriers and doubts and so little time, resources and abilities. However, amidst all the doubt and uncertainty, I took a step back to look at the whole picture, and what comforted me was the presence of these church mates as brothers and sisters by my side who have a passion for serving the Lord and seeking His kingdom, who share this same goal and dream of seeing the various ministries of our church grow and improve. 

I feel very thankful that I have brothers and sisters who care as much about our church as I do and in spite of how bleak a situation may seem sometimes, we belong to a God who is limitless and never fails to work in ways we can never imagine. Hearing their words of encouragement when we feel burdened by responsibility or doubt about which step to take next has brought me great comfort, and I am once again reminded of how true the bible is when it speaks of the beauty of fellowship! Although the troubles and responsibilities may seem to be growing, I believe that when we take it one step at a time, and place our burdens on the cross, Christ will lead and guide us! (:
  

I feel that STEP is a great way for me to learn and understand how other fellow churches work, for example how their youth ministry and services are organized. Learning from each others’ situations, mistakes as well as successes will definitely allow us to have a better perspective about things. 

This is especially true for me because I am working on the caring ministry in my church, which is a rather intangible aspect where the results cannot possibly be measured or even observed. The caring ministry is also relatively versatile and I believe each church has its own unique way of looking out for its members, due to each church’s different backgrounds and characteristics. At the end of the day, I am reminded that we are not many churches or many denominations, but rather one body of Christ, and that we should support one another as we work towards serving the Lord!

Grace Yong

Never Take God for Granted - Grace Yong

The first week of STEP has come to an end, and I am amazed at how fast time flies. The first day of STEP, I felt very overwhelmed and inspired by the people I met and their different backgrounds. Some had been serving in Singapore Youth for Christ; some were leaders in their youth ministry;  while another had lived in Africa for one year under a program under the Council for World Missions. 

I felt very inspired by their different experiences and their deep desires to grow in Christ and build up the church. Indeed, it is truly heartening and amazing to see how God has brought each of us to meet and learn together through STEP.  As I look towards my upcoming university life, I wish to be able to continue to pursue a deep relationship with Christ as well as serve my church, and these fellow interns have been great role models to me.
 

Learning about Presbyterian history on the second day at the Synod Office was another eye opener for me. Initially I felt that learning about history especially about how the colonial powers came and where they came from was rather irrelevant and inapplicable to me. However, I realized that learning about the history of our Presbyterian church and the many sacrifices of the people and theologians of the past has taught me to be more appreciative of the gospel that has taken many years and generations of hard work and sacrifice to reach us. 

I am reminded of how precious the gospel and a relationship with God is, and that we should never take it for granted, much less treat our weekly services and fellowship sessions as merely part of a schedule or a mundane practice. The many lectures are very interesting and it was very “mind blowing” for me to learn more about the underlying historical reasons for why our Presbyterian Synod places focus on both Chinese and English Services, and even has more Chinese Presbyterian Churches than English ones. 

I also appreciate the Presbyterian distinctive of placing emphasis on literacy and education and personally feel that that is something that is crucial in growing believers and children of God who are well versed and firmly grounded in their knowledge of the bible and God.

Grace Yong

On Presbyterianism and Christianity in the Context of Singapore and Southeast Asia - Yuanjie

I write this reflection with respect to the history classes that we have had in the course of the first week of the STEP program.

Growing up in a Buddhist household, and a relatively traditionally Chinese family, Christianity has always been to me as an "ang moh" religion. I think this has then played out in my life and even though I have been a Christian for a while these feelings still quite inevitably resurface.

It is very heartening to then see that the Presbyterian history actually runs parallel to Singapore's history, and played a very paramount role in the coming of age of Singapore and its development. Presbyterian history, in particular, has its fair share of affecting Singapore and the Chinese people, and hence this fact makes Christianity just that bit more relatable and local.

Thereafter, the development of Christianity in the region was also something that had many lessons (even though most of the insight I gathered was largely secular) about how nations develop, and how differences in the attitudes and the regime of the colonial leaders eventually gave rise to very different dynamics of the development of faith systems in say, the context of Indonesia and Philippines. I think this also brought home the fact that our actions, as Christians and hence evangelisers and fishers of men, will inherently affect the landscape of the world, in that duration of time and achieve vastly different results, hence the need for a very sensitive awareness of our actions.

I guess, being a recent Christian, and a way more recent Presbyterian (having spent most of my awaken time in an Evangelical Free congregation), at this stage in time, being an ‘official’ Presbyterian leader is still a rather distant concept, much less doing full time ministry. The visit to both colleges were enlightening though, and they give the impression of a certain reliable structure to the knowledge gained, should ever the call to full-time ministry fall upon me. At this stage nonetheless, I feel very blessed to be where I am now. Stumbling into the faith, then stumbling into a Presbyterian environment, by very random, unprecedented happenings, it’s difficult to discount God from this whole process, and it is indeed his grace and sovereignty that led me here.

I guess at this stage in time, I know that God has a plan for me, and on my side, I shall just try my best to learn as much as possible from this program and see what God points me towards and prepares me for thereafter. I look forward to the lessons, the fellowship, and the precious time to completely immerse and soak in God’s word uninterrupted.

Soh Yuanjie

On Bible's Text - Yuanjie

Taking STEP, get it?

One particular lesson that struck me was the lesson on the Old Testament. Dr. Maggie Low presented a content that debunked many a misconception held by many practicing Christians. She spoke of how the point put across in Genesis was how the emphasis was on the creation of order amongst chaos rather than the classic expression of nothing to something, which was very appropriate for the context during those times. 

I found this fact particularly enlightening because it actually coincides with secular theories of how the world came to be, bringing this bridge between scientific and Christian thought on the issue of creation. Largely underlying this particular revelation was also a realisation that sensitiveness to the context of how and when books are written is of paramount importance. 

Of course, one big reminder and warning even, is the constant need to always bring these head knowledge beyond just academic trivia and facts, and to allow the study of the word to touch our lives. Elder Eunice Low illustrates this point very well in her discussion of the book of revelations. Indeed there are many interpretations of this immensely complex book, but the fundamental purpose of the message remains as it is, and dwelling in the minute details may do us more harm than good. There is always a purpose for each message, and it is very useful to understand the message from that dimension and to factor in the context of the message in order to derive the most practical usage of it.

At this stage, I think this was a good start and peek into the coming weeks. While of course there are certain changes in perceptions and inevitably some ‘mind-blowing’ moments, even more important was the proper setting and preparation of our hearts that a deeper knowledge of the bible has to be achieved in order to effectively communicate an accurate picture or idea of God should we be called to do so. This could be the most valuable takeaway from these classes. 

Soh Yuanjie