This entire week I was home, sick with the flu! All that I planned to do, including attending our Wednesday Bible Study, I had to cancel. Men propose; God disposes! We must make plans, but we must not hold on to the plans; instead, as James (4:15), the brother of Our Lord teaches us, we ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Not only must we surrender our plans to God, but we must also leave the results to Him and be open to His changing our plans. The problem is, it’s easier said than done, isn’t it?
I used to think that all we do is to prepare us for our adult years. We go to school, choose certain vocation, find the right spouse, etc., so we will have a good life as adults. But now I realize that all we do is to prepare us for our older years. Or should I say that we should intentionally prepare not only for our adult years but also for our older years. I think most of us only plan up to our adult years, until our children leave home and have families of their own. Little do we know that beyond adult years there is another chapter of life. Or should I say that we know that there is another chapter of life, but we somehow think that it’ll simply be an outflow of the adult years.
We, who are now on Medicare, know that it is not so. This period of life could become not only a new chapter but also a new book. So much going on and so many unexpected turns of events. We often wonder what is going on and what went wrong. Well, sometimes things happen beyond our control such as a fall in the park can land us not only in a hospital bed but also in our bed for a long time. But some things are under our control, and which we can prepare for.
There are two that come to mind. First are spiritual values. What we sow we will reap. If we sow values such as love and kindness, we’ll receive love and kindness in return. Second is relationships. We, who nurture relationships, will always be in somebody’s heart.
Pastor Paul
Five years ago, around this time of the year, I was scheduled for prostate removal surgery. It was finally postponed to the beginning of 2022 because doctors found blockages in my arteries which required immediate treatment. Today we are celebrating the 46th anniversary of our church; five years have gone by. I’m sure many things have happened; some of us have lost our loved ones. But certain things remain the same, such as the abiding presence of Jesus Our Lord. He is and will be with us. Another thing that remains constant is your love and faithfulness to the Church of Jesus Christ.
We live in a noisy world. C. S. Lewis calls it the Kingdom of Noise. By noise, I am not only talking about sound, but also about ideas that come from the outside world that swirl in our heads, telling us to be that and to do that. Once I spoke with a man who was dealing with a problem. Interestingly one of the complaints he made was not that he did not receive enough directions but rather he received too much advice from others, telling him what he must and must not do. So, to reduce and if need be, block noise, we must choose whom to speak to and listen to; we need not listen to everyone. In other words, we ought to be quiet: both from talking and hearing.
But there is something else we must do to reduce, and if need be, to block noise: We must be clear with our priorities. We should know what is important and unimportant, and act accordingly. And this is the path that I have discovered to being clear with our priorities: to live simply. Which means living less so we can have more with less. To live simply it is incumbent upon us to know what is and what is not important. I observe those who live simply seem to understand what is truly important. They have the right focus and are not easily swayed and distracted by the noise; they’re centered and grounded.Here is then my anniversary message: Let’s live simply and quietly.
Pastor Paul
We are familiar with the notion that Jesus was also tempted like we were tempted; the difference is that He did not sin, while we did, as plainly stated in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” But we might not be familiar with the idea that God suffered along with us who suffer, as poignantly expressed by Isaiah (63:9), “In all their suffering, He also suffered.” Now we know that God feels every pain we feel because He is, after all, not only with us, but He is also in us.
But there is one more factor that makes God’s pain is even greater: He loves us! We, who have seen someone we love suffer pain, know what I am talking about. So, the idea that God is impassible in the face of human suffering is not only erroneous but it’s also unbiblical. Knowing this, I hope, will change the way we view God in the face of suffering. Suffering is not something He enjoys or wants for us, His children. Suffering is something that must happen because there is no other alternative. Suffering also serves to remind us that we are not in the heavens but in the world, which is replete with suffering.
In his book, The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen explains that the basis of all ministries is compassion. But he acknowledges the fact that compassion is hard because, “What we desire the most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it.” To be compassionate, he says, we must be ready to “go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken.” In other words, to be compassionate we must be willing to suffer with others. This is what ministry is. Being in the church—singing, praying, preaching and teaching—is a small part of ministry. Being in the pain of others is the bulk of ministry where God wants us to be. So, let it be said of us, “In all their suffering, he also suffered.”
Pastor Paul
One of the most unpopular ministries is the ministry of listening; far more popular is the ministry of speaking, isn’t it? We don’t usually get praised for listening, do we? We get recognition for speaking. One day Henri Nouwen drove through Los Angeles and saw so many billboards’ offering drivers, “Buy me, drink me, sleep with me”; it’s like driving through a huge dictionary, Nouwen says. Everybody is so busy saying something that no one has the time to listen. Even when we are listening to someone, we can’t wait to say something.
In his classic book, The Psychology of Counseling, Clyde Narramore points out something that has been missed in ministry: talking to people individually. “Wonderful teaching and inspiration can be found in books and lectures,” he says, but to help somebody we must talk to him individually, and this requires listening. And to listen, we must learn to be silent. Silence is as much a part of communication as talking; it is when we are silent, we listen better.
It is when we listen, we focus on the individual, on her thoughts and struggles, on her dreams and disappointments. Interestingly, it is when we listen, we also begin to understand ourselves; we begin to see our own thoughts and struggles, our own disappointments and dreams. In other words, it is when we listen to others, we start to listen to ourselves, not what pops up in our heads, but what is reposed in our hearts. And once we begin to know ourselves—our fears, our needs, our wants—can we, then, begin to be truer with our motives and more accurate with our words. We communicate.
You see, “to communicate” comes from the word “to commune,” which means “together” and this word comes from the Greek word, koinonia, fellowship. Words, silence, listening are to serve a single purpose: to draw us close to each other. There is no other purpose!
Pastor Paul
One of the men that God has used mightily is John Wesley, who along with his brother, Charles, started a movement that became the Methodist Church. While John was known to be a prolific preacher, Charles was known to be a prolific hymn writer. Some of his hymns have become the church’s beloved such as Jesus, Lover of My Soul and And Can It Be That I Should Gain. John and his brother Charles were the two youngest children of Susanna Wesley, who gave birth to nineteen children, nine of whom died in infancy. By God’s grace she managed to raise ten children in the 18th century England, and by the grace of God, two of her children made a huge impact in Christendom. John and Charles always attributed their faith to their mother’s faith, who raised them in fear of the Lord.
So deep was her relationship to God that before her death in 1742, she told her sons and daughters, “Children, as soon as I am released sing a psalm of praise to God.” Susanna never became a preacher or a hymn writer but through her sons she became a blessing to the world. A home maker, who cooked and cleaned for her family, a simple woman who devoted all her life to raising a godly family, in the hand of God, made a huge impact on not only England, but the world. Faithfulness and fear of the Lord are what God asks of us.
Over time I have met a number of men who aspired to do great things for God. They had plans, lofty plans, but in the end, they stopped for various reasons. To me, it’s God who stopped them. On the contrary I have also met men who did not set out to do great things for the Lord but in the end, accomplished great things. God gave them the opportunity and blessed them. Many are ready to do great things for God, but few are ready, much less, eager to do little things. The Bible bears witness to the fact that God uses men and women, like Susanna, who are faithful in little, not great things.
Pastor Paul
A long time ago, when I was still actively involved in giving family seminars, from time to time I got questions from participants about the role of wife and mother, whether wife and mother should be full-time homemakers. You can perhaps guess that it’s the women who asked this question, and sadly many asked this question out of guilt, because they happened to work outside of home. Some did it out of necessity; they had no choice. They preferred staying home and being full-time wife and mother but due to financial need, they were forced to work outside of home. But some did it because they wanted to; they could not stay home 24/7, doing the same chores day in and day out. So, for the sake of sanity, they chose to work. It doesn’t matter which group they belonged to, many felt guilty. They felt bad for abdicating their responsibilities at home, so they asked.
What I usually said in response to those who did not have to work but chose to work outside of home was, “Out of the two choices— working outside and staying home—which can make you a better wife and mother? Choose the one that will make you a better wife and mother.” I hope this answer liberated them from guilt and put matters into perspective, that what’s more important and needed by our family is not our physical but rather our emotional presence. What good is our full physical presence if we are mostly unhappy, tired, and irritable? Twelve hours of warmth and love is better than twenty-four hours of snappy comments and cold shoulders, isn’t it?
In his book, Family Ministry, Charles M. Sell reminds us that family’s foundation is commitment. It’s commitment between husband and wife, between parents to children and children to parents. Without it, there will be no marriage and family. The basis for commitment is not the promise we make, but the covenant that binds God and us. Under the roof of covenant, we rest. No guilt, no question asked.
Pastor Paul
In their book, They Call Me Pastor, seasoned pastors, H. B. London, Jr and Neil B. Wiseman share their observation that at some points, every church ministry experiences “obstacles.” Be that as it may, “Turning obstacles into opportunities, with God’s help, is something Christians do well,” they conclude. But before we can do that, we must first introspect, look within, us. Perhaps, these obstacles do not originate from outside factors, but rather from inside factors.
One of those internal factors they mention in their book is from none other but the pastors themselves. Sometimes pastors “expect people to invest more energy in Christian service than their spiritual life generates.” Simply put, sometimes pastors expect people to do and give more to the church ministry, but they do not nourish them adequately, spiritually speaking. It’s like expecting people to work harder but depriving them of the nutrients they need to do the job.
So, what happens to the church members when they are expected to do and give more but without sufficient spiritual nourishment? Pastors London and Wiseman’s answer is apathy or lack of interest. Instead of feeling encouraged, people become discouraged; instead of feeling excited, people become indifferent; instead of taking part, people dissociate themselves. In one word, they become apathetic.
So, before we can turn obstacles into opportunities, we must find the problem and if we happen to be the problem, we had better do something about it. There is one more insight I can share with you: We do not turn obstacles into opportunities for us, but for God, for Him to accomplish His work. A siege by the Ammonites turned out to be an opportunity for Saul to rally support from all of Israel. God uses obstacles to draw us to Him and to draw us out of our box so, we can see more of God and of us, what we both can do together.
Pastor Paul
Last Monday, Our Lord Jesus came and took Pei Pei home. She was the niece of our sisters Jenny, Enge, and Citra; so, she was one of Tante Lydia’s grandchildren. Most of you did not know her because she did not come to church regularly. From the very first time I met her, she was already unhealthy; over time her condition worsened that rendered her too sick and too weak to go anywhere. But from time to time when she was healthy, she would come and worship. Today she is already home with Christ Our Lord, where there is “no more sickness, no more pain, no more parting over there.” Amen.
There are several reasons why we look forward to going to heaven. Next to meeting Jesus Our Savior is, I believe, the desire to be with our loved ones, not temporarily, but forever. No more parting over there! Death brings with it a lot of pain; the most intense is perhaps the parting part, where we must say goodbye, where we can’t talk or touch our loved ones. Even though we know we will be reunited, the loss and the loneliness can be unbearable. Knowing that we will be with our loved ones forever brings much comfort, not only now but also later when we are facing our own death. We’ll be together.
But there is one more fact that should bring comfort to our grieving souls: Knowing that not only does God understand our pain, but He also feels it. In his book, All The teachings of Jesus, Herbert Lockyer writes, “There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven.” Jesus’ tears before Lazarus’ tomb reminds us, not only does He understand our grief, but He also feels it. In this we take comfort: God shares our sadness; so, we never grieve alone.
About a month ago Pei-Pei asked to be baptized. So, there on her hospital bed, surrounded by her family, she was baptized into the saving grace of God. She re-dedicated her life to Christ Our Lord.
Pastor Paul
If God’s willing, we will have our Thanksgiving Retreat again. The topic that I have prayerfully prepared is “I am but a pilgrim,” taken from Psalm 119:19. The messages will center on preparation for the day of our departure. We’re pilgrims, we’re walking home; so, let’s be prepared for the day when Our Lord Jesus will come and take us home. I will base the messages on the lives of Hezekiah, Stephen, and Jesus Our Lord, and how they faced their deaths. Pastor Joshua will tie everything up and conclude with the theology of death.
I know death is not a topic we’d like to hear, much less talk about, especially in a retreat. Perhaps to some of us, death is a depressing topic; we had rather hear about topics that are more uplifting. Well, there is time for everything. There is time for lighter and uplifting topics but there is also time for weightier topics. Death is certainly a topic that does not invite laughter; it is a topic that requires us to ponder and be pensive. It is a terminus we all must face. Hence, we should be prepared to face our own death, not only someone else’s.
Occasionally Santy and I and our children talk about death. We tell them what we want and don’t want when the time comes for them to decide what is best for us. Death becomes a topic as easily talked about as going to Indonesia and the preparation we must make. We do not shun them from talking about it, because the more informed they are, the easier and the smoother the decision-making will be.
God has given us a great honor to send off many members of our church to heaven. We embrace death, but more importantly we embrace the sick. We include them as a part of our prayers and cares, not as items, but as people. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord the death of His saints.” If the death of His saints is precious to Him, their sickness must be even more so.
Pastor Paul
For months we prayed for Oom Gie Vong and for months God heard our prayers by restoring him to relatively good health until three weeks ago. Due to difficulty breathing, he was taken to the hospital where he remained till Jesus Our Lord came and took him home on Friday, August 21. Surrounded by his family he slipped into eternity.
Last Wednesday, our sister Herwi also finished the race and went to her eternal dwelling. For seven years she fought a good fight, never giving up hope and will to live. Even in my last meeting with her in Jakarta, she remained full of hope and joy for the life that she was about to enter, the glorious life in the heavenly realms with God.
Heaven is bright and glorious but the road to heaven is often not so. It is usually dark, bumpy, full of potholes. Every time I stood by one who was about to depart this world, I was reminded of the words of St. Paul about this earthly body, “It has no greatness when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with shining-greatness. It is weak when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with power” (1 Corinthians 15:43). That is the road that we all must travel one day, the road that is marked with weakness, the road that has no greatness and glory. But thank God, it does not end in grave; it will lead us to and end in heaven. The ruined body will be raised and transformed into glory.
Before I left, Herwi told me that she did not want a funeral service. She wanted a celebration, not to celebrate her life on earth but to celebrate her life in heaven. “After I died, I won’t be here anymore; I will be in heaven, so I want you all to be happy for me!” she said. On the road to heaven, with no greatness and in utter weakness, she already looked forward to her new life. Heaven got her excited! Heaven also got Tante Sophia, Pauline, Ping Kie and Ping En excited for Oom Gie Vong, too! Heaven should get us excited! Hallelujah!
Pastor Paul