SF102 - A reflection

Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 – A Reflection.
By Jessica Tan
(below is a sharing from her experience at the recent Spiritual Formation 102. May you be blessed.)

It could have been another busy weekend, filled with outings with friends, serving in church and meals with the family. But on that weekend, I had other plans. I had an appointment with Silence and Solitude. I had an appointment with God, my Maker.

19 April 2008. I had signed up for this Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 (SF102) with the Prayer Ministry 3 weeks ago. At first, I was double-minded about going for this retreat because of the multitude of tasks I needed to accomplish. To my logical mind, it was simply a case of bad timing. But deep in my soul, I was yearning for a break. I knew I needed to take time off the hectic schedules and To-Dos and tend to myself – the person. I finally made the commitment to go for this retreat (and yes, including the commitment to keep my mobile phone switched off at ALL times for the duration of the retreat.)

SF102 was an extension of SF101 (Spiritual Formation Retreat 101*). This time, it was a 2 day 1 night stay-in event. There was more silence, more solitude, but also more depth as we reflect upon the issues and events of our lives. While SF101 focused on the fundamentals of the Spiritual Disciple of Silence and Solitude (like learning how to hear God through scripture, silence and nature, how to prepare ourselves for Quiet Time and our own personal times of Solitude), this retreat focused on learning what it means to rest in God and taking time to examine our own lives and how we have lived.

The times of reflection and guided questions provided were especially insightful. In the blessing of solitude and providence of much time, I was able to bare my soul before the Lord and allow Him to bring to light the areas I have fallen short of His standards. I came to understand that the stresses I feel in various areas of my life was because I had, in my busyness, unwittingly kept Him out of those areas. As a result, I constantly find myself battling with unrest at work, frustrations at home and confusion about my future. I also came face to face with wrong deeds in my life that desperately needs to be confessed and changed. There in the safety of my retreat center room, I found myself confronted with the Holiness of my God and at the same time restored by the magnitude of His faithful love. Tears of repentance flowed freely in the privacy of that room as I came to terms with my failures as a disciple of Christ, my humanness and pride. Overwhelmed by the presence and love of my Heavenly Father, I came honestly to Him, asking Him to empower me to be as He wants me to be – in thought and in deed.

Over those 2 days, I wrestled with God over many issues, some of which I quickly resolved and found peace; others more long-drawn and painful. Yet by the end of the 2 days, I left that sanctuary not with a “high” as some would expect from a “Spiritual Encounter”, but rather with a hunger for more – More intimacy with my Lord and Maker, more clarity on issues revealed and more grace to persevere in working through them, more commitment to feed on His truth, more resolve to do the things I have committed to do.

I have been blessed greatly through this retreat, not because of faith-filled teachings or because I saw great miracles. I am blessed simply because I met with my Lord. In those 2 days, I was fully His and like Mary, I truly felt that I was at the feet of Jesus, simply listening to Him, receiving life directly from Him, fully yielding to Him.

Departing from the retreat, I have since returned to the world to face its daily demands, to manage the lists of tasks and fulfill the various responsibilities that have in no way diminished. Yet, I feel confident that my heart has learnt the great value of solitude and the treasure of time away to be with God. That hunger for more of God has led me to weave such a precious discipline into my schedule and I have been greatly blessed. I pray that as you consider attending such a retreat, you will be enriched in your walk with Jesus and that through the discipline of solitude and silence; you may grow “to (truly) gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Phil 3:8b) (Italics mine)

* - Spiritual Formation Retreat 101 (SF101) is a 1-day guided retreat that aims allows participants to learn and experience the Spiritual Discipline of Silence and Solitude. This retreat is held twice each year.

Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 (SF102) is the extension of SF101, and is open to all worshippers who have been through SF101. For more information on each of these retreats, please look out for announcements in our Sunday Bulletin or contact the church office.

Transformed in Christ: A family’s journey into love and life.

- By Mrs Patricia Wong

As the mother of two young children, I used to feel burdened with the responsibility of bringing my girls up the right way. I was often frustrated when they asked me about God, so I would tell them that God does not exist. I now thank God for placing the hunger in them to long to know Him and to persevere in finding out the truth. God has been very kind to our family. He did not leave us even though my heart was hardened.

We were having dinner at my sister’s house one evening when Jaymie (my younger daughter) asked innocently, “Is there a god in the world?” My sister’s best friend, Christine was patient in explaining the answer. “In the beginning, God created the earth. Then God created man. We can’t see God but He sees us and He loves us!” The girls’ faces lit up when they heard about our good God and how powerful and mighty He is. Their hunger for God was evident.

I knew then there was no way I could deny my children of the opportunity to know God but at the same time, I felt unworthy of His love. I prayed for strength and courage and God gave me both and much more. The Lord said to me, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”

We started our walk from darkness towards the path of light.

The first lesson I learnt was that the Christian walk is not a bed of roses. I was terribly uncertain when I faced challenges. However, God has been faithful to send Christine into my life. She encouraged me greatly with these words. “Just tell God you are uncertain and let Him handle the rest. He knows what you are doubtful of because He is your Creator!” During this time, I grew more intimate with the Lord as He taught me that "He will redeem us from our iniquities’” (Psalm 130:8)" …"and present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24) Praise the Lord!

The first challenge came when the girls started asking many questions about God’s nature. I felt helpless and embarrassed as I was unable to answer to most of their questionsqueries. Tamie (my elder girl) wanted to know if God has hands and Jaymie could not believe that God is everywhere! Fortunately the teachers in Sunday school took time to explain things to them.

The biggest challenge came when I faced objection from my husband. He was upset with me for bringing the girls to church every Sunday morning and frowned when we turned on worship songs in the car. I felt that God was taking us away from my husband. It was later on that I found out it was far from the truth! Our marriage is a blessing from God.

My relationship with my husband Peter was not good. Before I accepted Christ, I was too busy with my children to remember that Peter is the head of the household.

As I read the Bible, I found out that God wants us to respect our husbands. The Word also says, ‘”A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies”’ Proverbs 31:10 Thus, After this realisation, I started showing love and respect for to my husband out of obedience to God. I now recall that would have been impossible to do without God’s help! God strengthened me with His Word each time I needed encouragement and to my amazement, our marriage improved over time.

I thanked God when Peter came to realize the change in me. Eventually, he also accepted Christ. Tears flowed down my cheeks when I heard him say the sinners’ prayer with brother Cam Yew, Calvin and some of our cell group members on 23^rd December last year. The girls were delighted that daddy has gained eternal life.

It is so wonderful to know God. There is now peace and joy in our family and we experience God’s love in our daily living.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise?

Psalm 106:2

Patricia now worships at 10.30am service and serves as an usher. Her girls are attending Sunday School at the Hub, while her husband worships at the Mandarin Service at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (CAC).