Hammers Alone Won't Do.

I was at a funeral wake yesterday and I met someone I had not seen in a while. She and her husband attend a mega-church. And all the time we were talking, she was praising the pastor of her church and how great a man he is. I was blessed to hear that she had such awesome respect and admiration for her pastor. When I left the wake, I just smiled to myself quietly. I tell you why....

In the big picture, a toolbox with all hammers isn’t very effective. You can hit nails, pry, and no more. A good toolbox has hammers, wrenches, files, and screwdrivers. It has a drill, some pliers, and plenty of other tools.

We each have a unique God-given calling, but many times we look at some minsters in the limelight or some famous mega-churches and come to think that smaller churches with less charismatic pastors don't count as much. But every church has a unique God-given calling, right? Yet too many of us distract ourselves by comparing with mega-churches. Consider how 1 Corinthians reads when substituting in church terms:

The Church has many different parts, not just one part. If the house church says, “I am not a part of the Church because I am not a mega-church,” that does not make it any less a part of the Church. And if the community church says, “I am not part of the Church because I am not a city church,” would that make it any less a part of the Church? If the whole Church were a city church, how would you reach the heartland communities? Or if the whole Church were a community church, how would you reach marketplace?

But the Church has many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange the Church would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one Church. The small church can never say to the mega-church, “I don’t need you.” The city church can’t say to the community church, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the Church that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

To clarify, I do think it is good to study successful churches when the principles learned are considered within the context of your church’s unique calling. And I believe that good ministry typically grows churches. However, if you do careful research, you will find that some of the greatest ministries have the smallest numbers. Sometimes small is needed to be effective. Sometimes huge is needed.

I recommend that we study them all. We need to learn from mega-churches, mid-size churches, small churches, community churches, and the rest.

Above all else, never lose focus of staying true to your church’s purpose. If God wants you to be a hammer, be a hammer. If God wants you to be a wrench, be a wrench. Be faithful to your calling and your station.

And every now and then, you will meet someone who is totally floored by what God is doing elsewhere. Just celebrate with them. Then you can walk away and smile at how blessed the Body of Christ is because of all kinds of churches, yours included!

Every Leader's Primary Responsibility

“...when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from he one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. “

Deut 17:18-20

Here is a word to everyone who exercises some form of authority – pastors, leaders, parents, fathers and bosses – anyone who is given some form of kingly authority. The Lord instructed the King to "make a copy of the law" in the presence of the Levitical priests. He was told to "keep it at his side at all times." Who knows? Maybe he even slept with it. And he was told to "read and study it everyday."

Interesting isn't it? Studying the law was the King's primary responsibility. I have no idea how long it took to copy the law. But here's my question: why copy it? You're a king. You're busy. You have servants. Why not let someone copy it for you. Why did God insist on him copying it? Because that way it was in his own handwriting. That way, he will internalize the word for himself.

So he had his own personal copy of the law. And he was told to keep it at his side at all times. If we interpret that literally, then we ate with it, rode with it, slept with it, fought with it, and ruled with it.

Finally, he was told to study it everyday. No other spiritual discipline is more vital to your spiritual growth than the reading and the study of the Bible. It has to be a daily routine. You got to open the Word daily.

If you are to lead like a king in your home and at the marketplace with authority and godly wisdom then you make it your primary responsibility to open the Word daily. You must memorize and meditate on the Word. The Word must be at your side all the time. It must become your reference point. You will have to shift the focus on your choices and decisions from your word to His Word and from yourself to Himself. It is then that you become successful and that success is described in generational terms in Deut 17 – “that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

You might have seen Braveheart, the movie? Did you know that William Wallace never went any place without his boyhood friend and personal chaplain, John Blair. In addition, he always carried his personal copy of the Scriptures with him.

Winners always carry the Word in their souls.

Who are we to judge?

"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil.

I was in a meeting recently where the discussion swayed from the issues of our lives to the concerns of Christian leaders on the national front. In one moment the focus turned from what is God saying to us to what is wrong with these national leaders who carry a celebrity status. Couched with the noble reason that we are called to be discerning on how Christian leaders conduct themselves in the Body of Christ, the discussion was but a poor attempt to draw quick and easy conclusions without sufficient prayerful contextualized responsible research. The result was that it almost left the people in the meeting drained when such meetings are meant to edify.

Playing the role of a standard-bearer is filled with its own temptations. It is difficult for fallible people like us to serve as the watchdogs of others – ensuring their purity, and their accuracy. What can subtly happen is that we can ourselves become what we despise and attack in others. When we are always searching for flaws and faults in others, we can subtly become critical and judgemental and self-righteous ourselves.

Unknown to ourselves, the reason we sometimes despise others is that we secretly fear we are seeing in them what we most hate about ourselves. Without moment-by-moment awareness of the cross of Christ, we crucify those we condemn in our own ritual of self-righteousness. And what is that but the opposite of the cross?

This week I enjoyed reading the opening paragraphs to the study of Judges from Tremper Longman and Ray Dillard’s An Introduction To The Old Testament, p 143:

What a collection of human beings in the book of Judges! Strange heroes they are—a reluctant farmer, a prophetess, a left-handed assassin, a bastard bandit, a sex-addicted Nazirite, among others. It is easy at a distance to point out the foibles and failures of the leading characters in this downwardly spiralling story.

But lest we get too proud, Paul reminds us, “That is what some of you were” (1 Corinthians 6:11). With similar mixtures of ignorance, frail obedience, and tangled motives, we, like them, were “washed, sanctified, and justified” by the grace of God. For all of their flaws, we are to learn from their faith. For it was in faith that Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samson “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised” (Hebrews 11:32-33).

In spite of their failures, their faith was not misplaced. They become a part of that great cloud of witnesses calling for us to persevere and to fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Who are we to judge? God uses people with all kinds of backgrounds. He also uses people who may eventually fall and fail, like a Samson. But God looks at their hearts and it is His sovereign prerogative to raise whoever He wants to do whatever He desires.

Instead of pointing at their flaws and faults, we should instead pray this prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24

It will keep our soul well!

My Wife's Thank-You Note!

I was so impressed by my wife's thank-you email to all the people who had played a part in the biggest event she had organized in her life - my 50th birthday, that I thought I want to post it on my blog so that it is never lost.

This one email speaks volumes to all her efforts over the months. She is a very detailed person and she had used that trait for good to make the whole birthday event one that we will never forget. I am so proud of her and am so overwhelmed by her love for me and her deep commitment to us all as family. I have often said that she is the best decision I have made. She just keeps proving that to be true, year after year, season after season.

Thank-you so much for everything you have done, Honey. I cannot love you enough!

Here is the email:

Dear One and All

Thank-you for the gift of your presence on Saturday,16 May 2009, making the celebration of Pastor’s 50th Birthday such a memorable occasion. Many of you had to make your way to “ulu” Seletar Country Club without the convenience of bus or MRT; had to juggle family and work commitments and pressing deadlines just to be present. Thank-you.

Allow me to also express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the following for having made that day such a wonderful and heartwarming experience for us all.

• Othniel – for trying your best to make it in good time, amidst family commitments, to share your tribute with honesty and sincerity and for playing the guitar during the birthday song dedication.

• Weijie – for delivering one of Pastor’s favourite soulful numbers with such style

• Joel Kang & Reuben – for coming up with the fantastically funny and yet apt lyrics

• Jeanette – for so willingly representing the RAYs team to give a tribute to Pastor

• Lydia Lee – for your labour of love in creatively putting together the b’day blessings from RAYs cum 2010 calendar despite your heavy school commitments

• Lisa – for your jovial and lighthearted tribute to Pastor; we enjoyed the “gift” tango you had with Pastor too.

• Chinese Church Leaders – for coming together so spontaneously for the song item

• James – for your sincere tribute and the simple, yet meaningfully penned poem ( didn’t know you had such poetic inclinations )

• Staff Team – for the hours of practice put in to deliver a most delightful and exhilarating Bollywood dance rendition - we had so much fun watching!

• Roslyn – for choreographing the dance and leading the staff in all the practices

• Karen – for the idea of the Bollywood dance to totally surprise and floor Pastor and for manning the registration table

• Jessica – for having painstakingly and thoughtfully prepared your tribute to Pastor and for manning the registration table

• Mrs Lim Soo Peng , Derrick & Julia, Winston, Isabel & Siew Mei – for your lovingly prepared home-baked cakes and heartfelt blessings for Pastor ( Mrs Lim’s cake came from another dear senior member of Agape, Mrs Chua )

• Siew Mei – for volunteering to pick up the huge durian cake and for her recommendation of a reasonably priced florist

• Kelvin – for leading in the b’day song and together with his wife, Grace, for videoing Isabel & Jose in East Timor last Nov

• Roger – for so spontaneously and fittingly rounding up the occasion with one of Pastor’s favourites “Great Is The Lord”

• Daday and Marivel – for having so patiently and efficiently pumped up all the balloons, decorating the railings, thus creating a celebrative feel, for the beautiful floral arrangements of the roses and gerberas for the registration table, dining and coffee tables.

• Ps Sok Hwee – for responding with such a novel idea ( leaders sending an email thread of b’day blessings to Pastor, while keeping all in the loop ) when called upon to gather together blessings from the Cell Shepherds and Block Shepherds.

• Fanny – for the novel idea of putting together b’day greetings for Pastor ( huge brightly coloured cards ) from the Chinese Church leaders, upon my request

• Thomas Franks – for tirelessly doing yet another video recording

• Terence Ng - for sacrificially being the photographer for the day

• Candy See – for so painstakingly and artistically bringing 70 over old pics to life in the photo montage, amidst moving house ( the glare in Eagle’s View did not do justice to her work; will upload in FB )

• Lester & Sabrina – for their brilliant ideas and fine art work in putting together the specially prepared paper for all to pen their words for Pastor; Sabrina – for manning the registration table and for preparing the powerpoint “Happy 50th Birthday Pastor Guna” “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness, Grace and Mercy”

• Jennifer – for helping me get the flowers at very late notice

• Ps Lili – for liaising with the Staff Team for this whole celebration; for injecting humour and fun through her powerpoint presentation of the 10 Hidden Truths About Pastor Guna )

• Ps Lili and Jennifer – for helping me hide Thea so well ( the Out of Order sign at the ladies’ toilet was such an excellent idea!! – so sorry ladies if you had to be redirected to the toilet outside….I’m sure you now know why ); for ensuring the order of the programme, especially the cake cutting segment, was smoothly carried out.

• Thea – for traversing across continents ( actually having to take 3 train connections before reaching the airport ), for missing her lectures so close to her exams, for dialoguing and contributing her ideas; for penning the first letter of invite and for videoing the Ross Family in Scotland

• Reuben – for video recording Ps Jimmy Boh, Lawrence Chua, Edmund Chan and Lai Kheng, putting together the CD compilation of his dad’s favourite Christian songs and secular oldies, liaising with RAYs for the item, for helping me out the invites and reminder email plus looking into all the technical aspects of the event despite a very heavy school and work commitment

• My dear, dear husband – for bearing with all the secrecy, conspiracy, lies, cover-ups and temporary depression.

Thank-you one and all.

Last, but definitely not the least, thank you Lord for making all of this possible. You are truly the source of all our ideas and creativity, all our strength and all our provisions. The blessings that we have and who we are today, we owe to You.

Gratefully
Christina

A Celebration To Never Forget!

This has been one unforgettable birthday, my 50^th! This birthday has stood out to be one that will be remembered for years to come by the family. Looking back, I am still so stunned.

We all have a tendency to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember. That's why we need to create the right memories that capture what is most important to our hearts. That is why we need celebrations. It helps us to remember what we should never forget.

And Christina and the two children went through all kinds of inconveniences to keep all the planning and preparation from me for months and then sprung an unforgettable surprise on me in the presence of over a hundred people at the birthday bash on Saturday. And that just did it. It locked into our hearts and minds a new series of memories of things we should never forget as a family.

Jesus asked the disciples an interesting question in Matthew 16:9: "Don't you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of leftovers you filled?" He gave them a memory with that miracle so that they never forget! It was out of the ordinary. It was loud. It was big. It pointed to the giving nature of God, the mercies of the Lord. It was a celebration of God’s abundance. What happened that day amidst the hungry crowd over the hill slope was meant to be translated from short-term memory into long-term memory!

Thea made a sudden surprise appearance at the 50^th Birthday party on Saturday. She had left Leuven in Belgium on Thursday, had to make three train transfers to get to London and then flew 13 hours, arriving in Singapore on Friday evening. To keep everything under wraps she spent the night on Friday at a friend’s house and when I got to the party on Saturday, she hid herself in the toilet so that I will really be surprised. She took that much pains to make space in my mind for long-term memory, notwithstanding the number of “lies” she and the family had to tell me about her whereabouts during those hours that she was ‘uncontactable’ because she was travelling!

I suppose only extreme love can drive a family to such an extent. This birthday party was detailed in extreme love. Christina had been working on it for months (behind my back!) to make this happen. Reuben had to skip classes and spent sleepless nights putting together the videos and the audios for the event. It takes awesome diligence, dedication and drive to perfect an event like that and I am still floored by the devotion my family blessed me with this 50^th birthday.

Christina, Thea and Reuben made sure that I never forget what I should always remember – family is first after God and love, loyalty and laughter are worth a thousand celebrations! And that the foundations in values we have laid down for the family through the years; the traditions that we had carefully preserved to mark the different milestone transitions of our lives and the gratitude we feel together over the faithfulness and the mercies of our God, all converged at my 50^th birthday bash, making it a celebration none of us in the family will ever forget!

C.S Lewis said, "We need to be reminded more than instructed." How true. One of the primary responsibilities of parents is helping their children and children’s children remember what they should not forget. It's telling the stories of God's faithfulness and mercies through intentional celebrations, over and over and over again. The psalmist vowed, “I will perpetuate your memory to all generations.”(Ps 45:17)

Thank you so much Hon, Thea and Reuben, for carving out another series of memories for the history of our family legacy!