God Remembers: Chapel Message

The following is the transcript of my short devotional message shared in STM's Chapel last tuesday.

STM Chapel
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Text: Isaiah 49:13-16
God Remembers

The past few months have been a very interesting journey for me. It is interesting because it has been a journey of discovery. It has been a journey that comes with a mixed bag. It has been a journey that is mixed with joy and pain, laughter and tears, and delight and frustration. It has been a journey where I am confronted with difficult theological questions. Some of the difficult questions that have been on my mind are: What happens when a person could, at times, no longer remembers God? How does this affect the person’s identity in Christ?

These questions arise because we have been caring for my father who is now advancing in his Alzheimer’s disease for the past couple of years. Caring for a patient such as this not only requires much patience and love, it also demands out constant attention and care. Some days, Dad would be able to recognise the family. In times like this, he would still be able to joke with us, tell us stories, and sings along with us. At some other days, he would not be able to recognise us. He would not be able to recognise my mother and my sister. Some days, he would look at me, and he would think I am someone else, and called me by some other name. At times, he would say to me, “Who are you?” About two weeks ago, I walked out of my bedroom and I greeted Dad. And Dad said, “Who are you? I know my son lives in that bedroom, and who are you coming out of my son’s bedroom?” Some days, he is a father I know. But on some days, he becomes a father that I never know.

Dad finds it hard to read the bible. Words do not seem to make much sense to him now. He finds it difficult to make sense of a sentence. He really struggles to read the bible. Some days, Dad finds it even hard to pray. One time, he looked at us and asked, “What is prayer? I don’t know how to pray.” At times, Dad surprises us about his faith. One day, Dad suddenly asked the family to prepare food on the table because he needed to pray to his ancestors. We assured him, and told him, “Dad, we are believers. We worship God. We don’t worship our ancestors.” Dad had, for a moment, forgotten that he is now a believer in Jesus.

That leads me to this question: When a person could no longer remember how to pray; could no longer read the Bible; could suddenly forget that he is a believer in Christ, and could sometimes forget God, how would you minister to a person like this? What would be this person’s identity in Christ?

As I was reflecting on this, my mind was brought to the passage we read earlier – Isaiah 49:13-16. I am comforted that despise Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. Even in times when Israel laments that God has forsaken them, God reassures that he will not forget. He still remembers them even in their exile, and God promises that there would be restoration for Israel. Even if a mother may forget the baby at her breast, God will not. That is enough for me. God still remembers. Even though Dad’s in his condition may forget God, God will never forget my father. God has engraved my father in the palms of his hands. Dad forgets, but God remembers. I pray that this will be an encouragement to you. Despite what we have gone through, even when we forget God, God remembers. That is enough. And may we remember God while we are able to. This is the very reason we come to our Lord’s Table that has been prepared for us to that whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup, we do it in remembrance of our Lord Jesus. Let us come to the Lord’s Table, the table he prepared for us so that we could remember him

Please Mix With Water

Someone captured this rather humorous situation in the chapel today, as a result of a recent incident.

To appreciate the background of the story that happened last week, please read this post.

Seminary Chapel: Don't Waste Your Pulpit

I promised to post my short sharing in the seminary chapel on March 10. However, I never got around doing so, till now.

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Tuesday Chapel;
10 March 2009
Text: 2 Tim 4:1-5
Title: Don’t Waste Your Pulpit

Just imagine this scenario: If chapel is made optional this morning, I wonder whether all of you would still be here. And if you have a choice, and if you know that I am preaching, will you still come and listen to me? Even though you are here with me physically this morning, I wonder whether your heart is here and you are listening to me. Perhaps some of us are saying: “It’s the boring Lim Kar Yong again,” and you have already shut your mind from listening to me. Perhaps some of us are now thinking about our assignments, thesis and all the tasks that we need to accomplish before the end of the week. Perhaps some of us are memorizing our Hebrew and Greek vocabulary now. Perhaps some of us are now opening the book that we bring along to chapel, and we are now sliding the book in between our bible and we have already started reading it.

My point here is not how you react to sermon. My point here is what causes you to react to sermons. There are many reasons. And one of it could be me as a preacher. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reflecting on what it means for me to preach from the pulpit. I know I have complained about bad sermons. I know I have preached bad sermons. I know that if chapel is made optional, and if I find all of you are not here this morning, I really have to search my heart. As such, over the last couple of weeks, I have been asking many hard questions about my preaching both in the church and in STM. Have I not sufficiently prepared for my preaching? Have I taken STM chapel too lightly, just because it is compulsory, and I can be a bit more relaxed in my preparation? Have my sermon failed to exhort and encourage the community? And if I have failed to adequately prepare myself for the pulpit, have I not abused the pulpit, and wasted the pulpit?

That’s why I am once again reminded about Paul’s exhortation to Timothy in the text we read this morning: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2). All of us here are called to be preachers of God’s word – and some of you are already preaching regularly. And to help us in our reflection of what it means to be called a preacher, I invite all of us to watch this short video clip by Dr John Piper. Piper, I think, essentially captures the real essence of preaching, and it is wise of us to take heed of his advice.

Listen again to what Piper says about preaching: “I think the reason pastors don’t preach from the Bible is because they themselves do not live off the bible day by day.” Is there any truth in what Piper is saying about our attitude towards preaching? Is there any truth in what Piper is saying about out attitude towards the Bible? Do we live off the bible day by day? Have we wasted the pulpit that God has given us? Remember Paul’s exhortation this morning: Preach the Word.

Making Chapel Services Optional? Further Random Throughts about Preaching

Let's face it. While we desire to see chapel services as part of our spiritual formation in the seminary, the fact remains that attending seminary chapel may not necessary be what everyone looks forward to. I am not sure whether my observation here is accurate or not. But if I were to take a glance across the chapel, perhaps there are sufficient indications to suggest that there is some merit to my observation. Some would bring along their books to occupy time in chapel. Some, instead of paying attention to the sermon, would be dozing off. Some would be doing something else, such as playing games on their mobiles phones, etc. Sometimes I wonder whether our presence in chapel is simply to satisfy the requirement that chapel is compulsory for the seminary.

I have once suggested something radical before - let's make chapel optional. Let's give the students a choice of whether they would like to attend chapel or not.

I raise this issue to myself once again because it is my turn to preach in chapel next Tuesday.

Let's imagine this: If chapel is made optional, I wonder whether there would still be anyone sitting in the hall when I preach next Tuesday. If the seminary community knows that it's my turn to preach next Tuesday, will they still come and listen to me?

What if my fear is materialised next Tuesday? What if there is no audience when I stand up to preach next Tuesday? One thing for sure - I will not blame anyone. I will take it that this is a very clear indication to me about myself, my preaching and the quality of my sermon. I will take it that it is time for me to do some soul searching and to evaluate my preparation, my preaching, and the content of my message. I will have to ask hard questions. Have I not sufficiently prepared for my preaching in chapel? Have I taken chapel service too lightly myself? Have my sermon been so boring that it not only fails to exhort and encourage the community but it clearly reflects my ill preparation? Have I abused the pulpit by failing to adequately prepare myself?

If this is the case, perhaps it is time to listen to my sermons once again. Perhaps it is time to evaluate my attitude towards preaching and the the fundamentals of what it means to worship our Creator God. It is time to repent.

Deep in my heart, I wish for the day that students would still attend chapel even if it is optional. Wouldn't it be great if chapel services were so uplifting, encouraging and edifying that even though it is optional, students would still come in full force, knowing that they would have missed something if they skipped chapel? Wouldn't it be great that chapel services would be spiritually uplifting for both the preacher and the listener?

In the final analysis, I can only say this: Who says chapel is part of the spiritual formation for the students only? It is part of my spiritual formation as a lecturer too.

Orientation Week Begins

We had our first chapel service this morning for the orientation week, and I had the privilege of addressing the new students. It was a real joy to see all the new students, and I wish them well in their studies.

Later on this week on Jan 8, all the seniors will be back, and the campus will be alive with activities, lectures, and of course, laughter!

Sermons and Gadgets

I have a funny feeling that what this cartoon depicts will soon be a reality in the seminary chapel. Who says chapel is "boring"?

Celebrating our Diversity: East Malaysia Thanksgiving Chapel Service

Today marks our annual East Malaysia Thanksgiving Chapel service, where we celebrate the diversity in our community. I will let the photos do the talking!

Chapel decoration

Our East Malaysian students performing a traditional dance

Our Iban warriors

Thanksgiving Chapel - Lessons to Learn

Today marks our annual Thanksgiving Chapel. Bishop Julius Paul of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia was our guest speaker. Being one of the pioneers who is instrumental in securing the land on which the seminary presently stands, Bishop Julius has much to say to remind us of the history of the seminary and how we ought to be thankful for what we have today.

The land on which the seminary presently stands originally belonged to the Society of Infant Jesus of the Catholic Church. Being deeply aware of the great need of STM in securing a permanent place for it campus back in the 1990s, and being thoroughly committed to theological education, the Catholic church decided to offer the land to STM to build its permanent campus, although the Jesuits were also eyeing the property at the same time.

This is where we have much to learn from the Catholic church. The church could have been inward looking by offering the land to their own community, the Jesuits. But instead, the church recognised the importance of theological education and the role STM would play in equipping God's people for ministry not only in Malaysia but beyond. As a result of this commitment of the Catholic Church, STM becomes the pround owner of a plot of land measuring more than 5 acres located on high grounds in the suburbs of the city of Seremban.

The Catholic church is to be applauded for being so selfless and having such a kingdomic perspective. Her generosity in going beyond the denomination boundaries and theological differences is not only one that is to be modelled but also one that makes the protestant church blushed.

The protestant church has much to learn from the Catholic church - we are good in paying lips service to the unity of the body of Christ and yet we are the very ones causing divisions - just see how many churches have split over the years resulting in the mushrooming of independent churches in Malaysia; we are good in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and yet we often fail to live out the values of the very gospel we are preaching - that makes us to be a mockery of ourselves in the eyes of the unbelieving world; we are good in promoting kingdom values but yet we are inward looking and have often failed to extend our generosity to others in the body of Christ, particularly in the sharing and giving of our resources.

Today's Thanksgiving Chapel reminds us of how much we could learn from the Catholic Church and her deep commitment to theological education.

Lord, have mercy on us.

STM Chapel: "I Am Not The Christ"

In response to my earlier post on "Strange Fire on Defiled Altar" and the Rabbi's post on "The Higher You Go, The Harder You Fall," I thought that it might be good for me to blog about the sharing I gave in last week's STM Tuesday Chapel. It was the final week of the semester where I had the privilege to share with the STM community, particularly the graduating students, for the last time this year. I think we have much to learn from John the Baptist.

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STM Tuesday Chapel - Sermon Transcript
October 2, 2007
Topic: I Am Not the Christ
Text: John 1:19-28; 3:22-30

If you have been following our Rabbi’s blog, you might be interested in his recent post titled “The Higher You Go, The Harder You Fall.” Rabbi's post highlights the rise and fall of many prominent Pentecostal preachers in recent months. This kind of news is hardly anything new. Over the years, the Christian church has witnessed numerous scandals of prominent preachers. These scandals range from sexual abuse, sexual immorality to financial mismanagement.

I have always pondered as to why there could be so many scandals in the Christian Church. After all, aren't we supposed to the salt and light of the world? Whatever happened to this calling of ours? Instead, our very behaviour informs the world that we are in fact no different from them. Somehow, I always suspect that many of these ministers/preachers caught in these scandals think that they can get away even when their scandals are exposed. Perhaps they think that their sins will not be discovered. Perhaps they think that the church would exercise more grace in the event that their embarrassments are revealed. But above all, I strongly suspect that these people think they are invincible, above the law, and perhaps they are next to God. As such, they have all the authority to do whatever their fleshly desires lead them. After all, who dares to touch the Lord's anointed?

But before we point our finger at others, let us admit that none of us is ever exempted from these scandals. Let us not make the mistake that we too are free from the temptation of the flesh, the lure of power and authority, and the quest for fame, fortune and success. If are not careful, we can fall into any one of these traps - be it sexual immorality or financial misappropriation. This is where our reflection takes us to John the Baptist.

In our first reading earlier on, we see that John is a popular figure (John 1:19-28). As a result of his popularity, the religious leaders from Jerusalem send a delegation to investigate John. This results in a series of Q & As. The first question the delegation asks is this: “Who are you?”

John answers, “I am not the Christ.”

Then comes the next question, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"

He said, "I am not."

"Are you the Prophet?"

He answered, "No."

This delegation is now getting anxious and concerned. They are not getting anything from John. He is not the Messiah, he is not Elijah, and he is not the Prophet. Who, then, is he? And so they press John, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

Here we see a man who virtually refuses to dwell on himself. His clearly understands that his ministry is to magnify the coming Messiah, the Christ. He knows he cannot do so by talking about himself. He can only repeatedly said, “I am not the Christ.”

I really like this confession. This is the earliest Christian confession. And in many ways, I think this confession is better than the Heidelberg Catechism, the Apostle Creed, or Nicene Creed. And let me also suggest that this is perhaps the most important confession that we as ministers and future ministers of the gospel need to believe in firmly and strongly. Let us take to heart the confession of John the Baptist: “I am not the Christ. He must increase, and I must decrease.”

Let me also go further to suggest that this is one confession that will also protect us in our ministry so that we will not fall into the trap of sexual immorality, financial mismanagement and the temptation to compromise the truth of the gospel in our quest for fame, fortune and success. Let us be reminded that we are not the Christ. Jesus is the one that will build the church, not us. Jesus is the one that will be magnified, not us. Let us be reminded that we cannot draw people to ourselves – we have to point others away from us so that we can point them to Christ. This is where we can learn from John.

One day, some of John’s disciples came to him and said, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." (John 3:22-30). Well, after Jesus begins his ministry, many of John’s disciples abandon him and decide to follow Jesus. Those who are loyal to John begin to lodge their protest: "Master, don’t you care that you are loosing ground – your grassroots are switching camp."

John responds, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, `I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less."

What an answer. What a beautiful reply from John the Baptist. Here is a man who knows the purpose of his ministry and mission in life - to point others away from him so that he could point them to Christ. It does not matter if his followers decide to switch camp to follow after Jesus. After all, that is his purpose - to point others to the coming Messiah. Let us also learn that our ministry is not to draw people to us. Instead, our ministry is to point others to the soon coming King.

Allow me to close with this illustration in which I will dramatise a little bit the image that John uses in his reply to his disciples. Some of you know it very well, but some of you will probably have to use your imagination a little bit. In every wedding, if you are the best man, you know you are the best man for the job when you know that you are not the groom, but just a best man. Just imagine that in this particular wedding where you are the best man. Here you are, standing in front of the sanctuary with the groom. The anxiously awaited moment has arrived, and the bride is now marching in towards the front of the sanctuary. All eyes are now on the beautiful bride, and the groom is getting all excited. In fact, he’s getting a little nervous. He could feel his heart palpitating, and his palms are getting all sweaty. And his eyes are all on his bride. But as she marches closer, the groom suddenly realises that something is just now right – just as he fixes his gaze on her, he realises that her eyes are just off centre. She is looking not toward him but elsewhere, to the best man that stands beside him. As he turns to look at the best man, he notices that the best man is playing eyes signal with her and the bride is responding to the best man. Now if you were the groom how would you have felt?

Friends, if we want to man and woman that God uses and one that remains faithful to him, don’t we dare to compete with the affection of the bride. Don’t we dare to be playing eyes with the bride and to cause her to fall in love with us. Don’t rob the attention of the bride to ourselves. Remember, friends, when the bride comes in, this is the hour for the bridegroom, and this is precisely where we fade away.

And this is the very confession of John: “I am not the Christ, he must increase and I must decrease.”

May this be so in our lives.

Indian Thanksgiving Service in Chapel

One of the real blessings of STM is the multi-racial community in which we are able to celebrate the diversity in the body of Christ.

This is reflected in yesterday's Chapel service where our students of Indian origin took charge. They transformed the Thanksgiving Service into a colourful and unforgettable experience.

It did not end there. The Indian students also went the extra-mile by serving the community banana leaf rice for our community lunch after the chapel service.

I always look forward to services that remind us of the diverse community we have in STM - we are different and yet we share one common purpose and destiny in life and ministry. We speak different languages and practise different culture but yet we are drawn to one another through the love of Christ. This is one richness we should celebrate and be thankful for.

For the cultural diversity in STM community, see my earlier post, "Celebrating our Cultural Heritage in Chapel."

STM Tuesday Chapel Again...

I am slotted to share in tomorrow's STM Tuesday Chapel again (me again? so fast?). After what we did last week, I am a bit of a lost as to what to share. Furthermore, I need to get the script to the interpreter latest by tonight (else I might end up doing exactly what Paul described about Sivin Kit in his comment in my earlier post).

Hmmm...perhaps the following cartoon has just given me some great idea.

STM Tuesday Morning Chapel

After our Tuesday morning chapel, Dr Ezra Kok, our Principal, and I were talking about my public lecture in the Inaugural Dialogue of OHMSI. Since there is a slot available in next week's chapel, Ezra suggested that we do a "political" reading of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

Sounds like a good idea! So we agreed that we would do a dialogue for the following week's Tuesday morning chapel message, with both of us taking different political perspective respectively in reading the text.

It would be interesting to see how we engage the text in a different and fresh perspective governed by different hermeneutical approaches and what the response from seminary community would be. Wish us luck!

Cartoon credit: www.reverendfun.com

Bring the Whole Bible to Chapel!

As I was rushing out my office for the chapel this morning, I quickly grabbed my NA-27 along.

But when I stepped into the chapel, I realised that this could be a mistake as our Rabbi would be preaching. True enough, he preached from Psalm 56:8. But on the brighter side, modern technology saved the day - the text was flashed on the projector.

The moral of the story: Bring the "whole" Bible to chapel next time! Or, better still, just don't bring it, count on modern technology!

The Cry of A Seminarian: A Chapel Message Response

This is my chapel message on July 3, 2007, in response to my earlier post, The Cry of A Seminarian.

When Jesus calls the twelve disciples, he invites them to join him on a journey - a journey of living together, a journey of learning together, and a journey of discovering together. Imagine that you are one of the twelve disciples on this journey.

If I were to ask you to blog about your journey and experience with Jesus and the rest of the disciples, what would you write? What would your story be like? As for me, if I were to blog, perhaps I will share a bit on the three crises that I experience in my journey with Jesus and the other disciples.

First, I would like to highlight that my journey with Jesus is a crisis of relationship. The twelve disciples never seem to get along pretty well in many instances. They argue about who is the greatest among them (Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46). Two of them even have their mother involved in trying to persuade Jesus to give them the best positions when Jesus establishes his kingdom – one to sit on Jesus’ left and the other on the right (Matt 20:20-21; cf. Mark 10:35-41). Don’t forget, there are a Zealot (Mark 3:18; cf. Matt 10:4; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) and a tax collector (Mark 2:14; Matt 9:9; Luke 5:27-28) in their midst too. I suspect there might be resistance to the presence of these two people in the group. Some might even question the wisdom of Jesus in choosing Simon and Matthew to be his disciples because they might turn out to be liabilities for the whole group!

Second, this journey is a crisis of faith. The disciples expect Jesus to restore Israel. After all, Jesus is supposed to be the anticipated Messiah for Israel. But Jesus’ plan for the kingdom is not only for the Jews but it includes the Gentiles as well. To the Jews, surely they would not want to have anything to do with the Gentiles. They did not want to have anything to do with the Samaritans. Remember on one occasion, they even want to call fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritan villages (Luke 9:52-55). Imagine what would have crossed the minds of the disciples when Jesus takes them into Gentile territories to cast out demons, to perform miracles, and to heal the sick. Perhaps they would have responded, “How could this be? How could the Gentiles have a share in our inheritance?”

Third, this journey is also a crisis of failed expectations. The disciples have high hopes in following Jesus. They expect Jesus to establish the physical kingdom of God (Acts 1:6). They expect Jesus to liberate them from the powers of the Roman Empire. But Jesus tells them that his kingdom is not of this world. It is not a physical kingdom. Their dream and hope for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel are not fulfilled in the way they want them to be.

A crisis of relationship. A crisis of faith. A crisis of failed expectations. I wonder whether does this somehow describes your journey as a student in STM?

For the past two weeks, I have been in conversation with several bloggers on the issue of theological education and spiritual formation (for my earlier posts, see "Another 'Sick Project'"; Follow-Up on 'Another Sick Project: Character Formation and Theological Education"; and The Cry of A Seminarian). I have also been reading some of your blogs to understand some of your struggles.

One of you blogged a very penetrating and soul-searching article. In her post, Rccnlj pours out her heart as she struggles as a seminarian, reflects on her journey in her theological education, raises many questions concerning the various aspects of spiritual formation in theological education, and expresses her desires for lecturers to journey alongside her as she is being equipped for Christian ministry.

I confess I do not know how to respond as I listen to your struggles. I wish I know how to help you in your journey. I wish I have the answers to your struggles. But I want you to know that I am listening to your struggles. I hear your cry. I hear your frustrations. I deeply sympathize with you. I am with you in this journey as I have been in your shoes before.

Perhaps I can offer my reflection on what I learn from the disciples of Jesus

1. They continue on this journey despite the odds. At one time, Jesus asks them whether they want to leave him. Peter answers, “To whom shall we go?” (John 6:68) They do not abandon this journey.
   
2. They continue on this journey by supporting one another. They remain together after the burial and on the day of resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:33; John 20:19). They remain together in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1).


3. They continue on this journey by trusting in Jesus’ promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. They wait in expectation of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
   

My encouragement to all of us is this - you are not alone in this journey. Remember that the three years the disciples spend with Jesus are not easy years. But those years are crucial and necessary for their spiritual formation and preparation for greater service for the Lord. This journey that they embark is a journey that changes their lives forever. It is a journey that also changes the course of history of the world.

So I invite you, come, let us take this journey together as fellow pilgrims. Let us encourage and support one another. Let us laugh and cry together. Let us correct and admonish one another. But more importantly, let us not walk this journey alone. It is too difficult. It is too lonely. We can only take this journey together as a community of believers who despite our own weaknesses and flaws, yet resolve to help carry one another’s burden.

Will you join me, despite my flaws and weaknesses, in this journey so that together we can make a difference? So that together we can usher in the present reality of the kingdom of God in this land?

Come, join me in this journey – a journey of learning together, a journey of discovering together.

P/S. A word about the photos. They represent my journey as a theological student. They were taken in different seasons along the favourite path that I took almost daily for my walk when I was a doctoral student in Wales - perhaps the sheep in the farms would have seen my tears, sensed my frustrations and heard my struggles deep within as a theological student trying to make sense of his calling, faith, research, and future vocation as a theological educator.

Answered Prayer?

It was my turn to speak at the chapel service at 8am this morning. But, at about 7.50am , there was a complete blackout in the entire campus.

In view of my earlier post commenting that STM students always pray fervently for rain at 5pm on every Thursday so that they could be spared of gardening activities (see "God Is So Good...") , someone asked me whether I prayed for blackout this morning so that chapel service could be cancelled, and I could be spared of preaching this morning (well, quite a number of people know that I always struggle in my sermon preparation).

Well, I did not pray for blackout. But if I did pray, it was not an answered prayer. The chapel service continued on as usual, despite the blackout.

By the way, the electricity came back just before chapel ended....Another sense of humour of the Almighty?