tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84332796842069544592024-02-21T01:24:40.889-08:00L.U.S.HVery often, we are told by our churches that being gay is a sin, and that Christianity doesn’t condone same-sex partnerships. As a result, many of us struggle with our sexuality and faith. LUSH aims to provide a safe space to exchange ideas, explore other points of view, and encourage each other along our shared journey. We do not provide answers, only a perspective that it is possible to be both gay and Christian. The journey is yours to take, but with LUSH, you know that you are not alone.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-54596834002462971062015-07-25T20:04:00.001-07:002015-07-25T20:04:50.206-07:00LUSH 11 opened for registration<div align="justify">
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LUSH is conducted over a span of around six months. Facilitators of the group will provide materials and engage participants in discussing the different topics involved. The entire run is divided into two phases.</div>
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<br />The first phase predominantly covers the study of the six bible passages that mainstream churches use to condemn homosexuality. The six bible passages are: Genesis 19, Leviticus <a href="" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">18:22</a> & <a href="" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">20:13</a>, Romans <a href="" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">1:26</a>, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1Timothy 1:9. This phase is structured in a way for participants to share their views on the passages involved and to bring a different perspective to the study of the bible.<br /><br />The second phase will cover a series of issues that women face regarding their sexuality. Examples of some of these issues that have been brought up by previous Lush participants are : Loving Yourself, Relationship issues, Sex before Marriage, Coming out etc.</div>
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LUSH 11 will be starting soon and registration is now opened and will close by 15 Aug 2015. Please register your interest by emailing to fcc.lush@gmail.com</div>
FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-78964044992982870502014-08-26T19:20:00.002-07:002014-08-26T19:20:49.577-07:00LUSH 10Hi all,<br />
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It has been a hectic year for us, as the church shifted to a brand new location. So sorry for the lack of updates on this site, but we are happy to announce that LUSH 10 will be starting soon! We are looking to begin LUSH 10 in October 2014, and for this run, we will be meeting on Friday evenings. So if you have been waiting for LUSH to start, if you know of anyone who may be conflicted and struggling between their sexuality and faith, if you would like to find out more about what the bible says about homosexuality, if you just want to find some people who may be on the same journey as you, come join us. <br />
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Drop us a e mail at fcc.lush@gmail.com and we will get back to you! Have a blessed day ahead.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-24803181436479882512014-01-05T23:54:00.001-08:002014-01-05T23:54:40.976-08:00Something new for 2014!Hi all,<br />
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We will be starting a new mixed group (men and women) to tackle the 6 bible passages that touch on homosexuality. This group will start second week of February 2014. This group is suitable for you if you want to find out more about the passages, are comfortable to be around members of the opposite sex, and would like to know how men and women view these passages differently. If you are keen to join the group, please send an e mail to fcc.lush@gmail.com to let us know. This group will be facilitated by Rev Miak Siew (Executive pastor of Free Community Church). You can find out more information about FCC on www.freecomchurch.org.<br />
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LUSH 10 (for women only) will probably start second half of the year. Stay tune to find out more !<br />
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J.L.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-80289701127225436272013-10-08T06:16:00.002-07:002013-10-08T06:16:58.699-07:00FCC 10th Anniversary<div class="msg-content" id="yui_3_10_3_1_1381237614973_596" style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word;">
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Hi all,</div>
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FCC is celebrating it's 10 anniversary this Sunday (13 Oct), it has been a long journey with lots of ups and downs. There will be more exciting things ahead as we look forward to our new location next year. For those who have been following this blog, for those who have visited us or has yet found the courage/time/friends to step into our premises, we hope that you will come join us in our celebration this Sunday. More information can be found on our website: freecomchurch.org. Hope to see you all there!</div>
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Below is the message from the pastor. </div>
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<br />This Sunday, we are celebrating Free Community Church's 10th anniversary.<br /><br /><div id="yui_3_10_3_1_1381237614973_593" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
This year's anniversary service is themed "Homecoming." We have always tried our very best to live out our tagline - Welcome Home in how we do church, following Jesus' example of prodigal love and hospitality.<br /></div>
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We all have friends who have attended FCC for a while, and have been away for some time. Take this opportunity to invite them to join us and celebrate.<br /></div>
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We would be having lunch catered in - please stay back to catch up with folks you haven't seen for a while!<br /><br /></div>
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Love,</div>
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FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-73294121568244070672013-03-12T06:08:00.000-07:002013-03-12T06:08:21.203-07:00LUSH 9 is starting!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Is being lesbian and christian mutually exclusive? What does the bible say </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">about homosexuality? If these are questions you don't have answers to, you are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">invited to join LUSH 9, starting early April.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Whether you are straight, conflicted, clueless or just a curious </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">female, come join us on a journey that aims to give women a different </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">perspective to the homosexuality-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><u></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">thumping bible verses .</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The group will be based on the format of a support group through </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">discussions and sharings. Participants will come together in a safe </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">space to exchange ideas, explore other points of view, and encourage</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">each other along our shared journey.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The group will meet once a week, running for approximately 6 months </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">with breaks in between. Generally, Phase 1 which covers “Sexuality and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">what the Bible says” will take about 8-10 sessions while Phase 2 will </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">take about another 6-8 weeks on a range of topics like Loving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Ourselves, Relationships etc.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Interested participants are required to commit for the entire run. If </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">you are interested or have any enquiries, please email your name & </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">contact number/queries to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="mailto:fcc.lush%40gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">fcc.lush@gmail.<u></u>com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">We would be collecting S$20 per participant to cover cost of printing materials etc. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Registration for this run ends 25th Mar. The timing of the sessions will be determined </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">by the majority'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><u></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">s available slots after the 25th.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">See you then, remember God loves you regardless.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-10520070873146039922013-03-05T05:12:00.001-08:002013-03-05T05:12:14.577-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Free Community Church International Women's Day Sunday Service</b><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Hi all,</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">This week (10 March), join our sisters in celebrating International Women's Day - joining them in celebrating and honoring women past, present and future. We recognize that though we have made much progress towards equality of genders, we need to continue to work in solidarity so that there will be</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">the day where all are free - not just First Realize Everyone'<u></u>s Equal, but</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">First Recognize Everyone'<u></u>s Equal. There is lunch catered after service so</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">we can fellowship and get to know each other better.</span></span>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-17193564441759204992012-05-22T06:08:00.000-07:002012-05-22T06:08:19.050-07:00Meeting God<br />
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Who knew all it takes to meet god is twinkies, root beer and a smile. I hope we will all have an opportunity to meet god today!</div>
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<strong><u>Meeting God</u></strong></div>
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<br />There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey.<br />When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!<br />They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.<br />As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.<br />When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.<br />She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"<br />He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"<br />Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home.<br />Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"<br />She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."</div>
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P.S. In case some of you are wondering what a twinkie is : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkie" style="color: #247cd4; text-decoration: none;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkie</a></div>
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</div>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-48238336759222435312012-05-22T06:05:00.000-07:002012-05-22T06:05:10.157-07:00For The Bible Tells Me So<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> FYI: an event held at Free Community Church</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Dear friends</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I have heard many times before from LGBT friends who are not Christian, "You mean you are a pastor of a church? I thought that Christianity is against homosexuality."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This Sunday, we would be screening "For the Bible Tells Me So" at 2pm this Sunday in church followed by facilitated discussion about our reactions to the documentary. This is a good documentary for those interested in what the Bible says about homosexuality, regardless whether they are Christian or not. </span><div style="clear: none;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">"For the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with religion, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality."</span></span><div style="clear: none;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Come join us, and invite folks you know who may be interested to join us as well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">For those who have not been to our church before, our address is 56 Geylang Lorong 23 #03-00. Directions to FCC is at <a href="http://freecomchurch.org/07-getting.htm" style="color: #247cd4; text-decoration: none;">http://freecomchurch.org/07-getting.htm</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Miak</span></span></div>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-49467548862467195582012-05-14T18:14:00.001-07:002012-05-22T06:05:28.302-07:00Loving the Body, Loving God<br />
Hi all,<br />
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We are blessed to be able to have renowned Postcolonial and Feminist theologian come and speak at Free Community Church. Below are the details of the talk, please do come join us on the day.<br />
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J.L.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvMMsgk31JfuqR1DkNpBeBpWo-tgtq4GEb2PxUEhy7r70OcpT1gdW3qs3aNUP1CxY9X256vw2NDcjwU_D9iYfOhMzPlMIt4k7tyYxzTMMRZFQagzbsXfTc2AIIe3GZmZm7yRFPB4ouw/s1600/kwokpuilantalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvMMsgk31JfuqR1DkNpBeBpWo-tgtq4GEb2PxUEhy7r70OcpT1gdW3qs3aNUP1CxY9X256vw2NDcjwU_D9iYfOhMzPlMIt4k7tyYxzTMMRZFQagzbsXfTc2AIIe3GZmZm7yRFPB4ouw/s640/kwokpuilantalk.jpg" width="640" /></a>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-12831060522536562712012-03-18T06:18:00.005-07:002012-03-18T06:39:47.561-07:00FCC International Women’s Day Service 2012The message shared on FCC International Women's Day Service<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong>我们</strong><br /><br /><br />The Free Community Church has dedicated a Sunday service every March to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) since 2005, which means that this year marks the 8th International Women’s Day service that we are holding. It is pretty amazing considering that in 2005, the number of women attending FCC could be counted with my fingers on both hands, and today I will probably need the use of extra hands to count the women present in this congregation.<br /><br />I have to state upfront that I am here to share a very short message because I carry two x chromosomes, that is, I am a woman, though I do not claim to represent the views of all the women present here. IWD started in the early 1900’s where women were spurred into action by their oppression and inequality that they experienced. Through the last century, great strides has been achieved in leveling the playing field between women and men (at the very least in the more advanced countries), which probably leads to some women (and maybe a lot of men) wondering whether there is still a need to celebrate IWD at all, if equality is what we are striving for.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">To the men here, do not feel left out, as there is also an International Men’s Day celebrated in November every year, which is also focused on promoting gender equality (from the point of view of men). So I guess whether as women or men, as long as there is marginalization, there will be a need to push for improvement of the plights of these marginalized people.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">As for myself, I cannot honestly say that I have experienced any discrimination based on my gender. I always had strong women role models in my life, from my mum, to my teachers in schools and lecturers in university. I never had a doubt that I can set out to achieve anything I want to regardless of my gender. It could be naïve thinking on my part, or I am probably not sensitive enough to be aware of the subtle discrimination against women that are still present today. What I did not experienced, does not negate the fact that there are women out there that are still being marginalized, even in Singapore’s context. The women role models in my life likely faced difficult uphill tasks in their personal and professional lives, as I am sure if we talk to our grandmothers, mothers or aunts, they will share with us their struggles. So as we have benefitted from the works of the generations before us, I am glad that FCC continues to celebrate IWD, because it serves as a reminder of how far we have come, and the work we must continue to do in order to achieve true equality where no one is discriminated based on gender.<br /><br /><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong>Travelers or here to stay?</strong><br /><br />For IWD this year, FCC has chosen to have its own theme, which is wo men. This is taking a play on the pronunciation in hanyu pinyin, which in mandarin, means us (我们). Wo men, us as in a community of women and men, of old and young, of you and I. In this church, though we try to be as inclusive as we can, there is a clear demarcation between certain groups, for example, the heterosexual and homosexual, and among the LGBTQ people here, the lesbians and the gay men. This occurs because firstly: there is the presence of a majority and minority group, and secondly, both groups seem to have a difference which is huge enough to cause this demarcation. For the gays and straights, this difference is the sexuality. For the lesbians and the gay men, the difference is probably also due to sexuality, because we are simply not interested in the opposite sex, and therefore the motivation to know each other is already diminished.<br /><br />If we cannot see beyond the differences between the group which we identify with, and the other group, we will never be able to consider ourselves to be a part of each other. This is the same thing, as when we travel to a new place, we always choose to experience the differences (it could be cultural, habitual or societal), comparing between them and us. However, if we are moving ourselves into a new place, and trying to integrate our lives with the others, we would always choose to see what is common between us.<br /><br />So the question for each of us is: wherever we are now, do we see ourselves as visitors or travelers? Or do we want to see ourselves as part of the group. If we are but travelers, then see the differences and continue to be separated from each other. However, if we want to belong, we have to learn to see the commonality between us.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong>Beneath it all</strong><br /><br />How do we go about doing that? It is to see beneath the surface of the skin, and realise that we are really not that different. If we understand that for each of us, blood works the same way flowing through our bodies bringing oxygen to all the cells, we all need food to provide us with nutrients that gives us energy, and our minds perceive our environment through the same five senses, or six in some special cases. We are all humans, made from the same stencil of the basic building blocks. As shown by the picture below:<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Cp0tNP2H9sNzbHThbGB-b02TDouIrjzrltJOtUZm9soRKrbLAumQTQh3LqqAWu3NzubdNFcxh5uY3pJmwVuCMRwxYawwUcLEUaOcYvT1S0abaRCOswa2zzjp4S66GngV7At78FyBjg/s1600/thedifference.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721228096665182850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Cp0tNP2H9sNzbHThbGB-b02TDouIrjzrltJOtUZm9soRKrbLAumQTQh3LqqAWu3NzubdNFcxh5uY3pJmwVuCMRwxYawwUcLEUaOcYvT1S0abaRCOswa2zzjp4S66GngV7At78FyBjg/s320/thedifference.jpg" /></a><br /><br />In Genesis 1: 26 and 27, it is written:<br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">26</span> Then God said, “<em>Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.</em>”<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">27 </span>So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and<br />female he created them.</div><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">We are all created in the image of god, regardless of our gender, sexuality, race and whatever<br />physical attributes that makes us different on the surface and where we are in our life situations. If we ask the questions: Is god female or male, is god black, white or yellow, is god heterosexual, homosexual or asexual? What would the answer be? Maybe God is not defined by any of these, or maybe god is every one of these. And each and every one of us being created in god’s image, we are little representatives of who and what god is. We are all carrying a bit of god in us.<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong>Common humanity and our responsibility<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">In seeing our common humanity, and seeing in each of us the god that is within, we will learn to see that the group with which we belong to is no longer limited to just either women or men, straights or LGBTQ, Christians or non Christians. We learn to expand the circles, to include groups of people who may seem to be as different as chalk and cheese to us. Perhaps one day, we do not even need a circle to include every one, for we no longer need the circle to exist, as no one will ever be excluded if we are able to see each other as part of ourselves.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">They say a picture is worth one thousand words, so this picture taken from a postcard sent to the post secret site sums it up very well. It reads : "We're all so connected, I desperately wish we knew it."</div><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DeZHcqDW3Ns5iUV4CFenHyC2s75sRmoz3Hk1A3rO63ZXSJisjhDDnyA_iw5Dncg2R5JSvuOn_pjM-f171bRKsOk98PAtjhk-7WwiPL6VwKqMAoOhsJGN0EIfuE3hsZhcDP3sV-MaiQ/s1600/connected.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 234px; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721229265405413538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DeZHcqDW3Ns5iUV4CFenHyC2s75sRmoz3Hk1A3rO63ZXSJisjhDDnyA_iw5Dncg2R5JSvuOn_pjM-f171bRKsOk98PAtjhk-7WwiPL6VwKqMAoOhsJGN0EIfuE3hsZhcDP3sV-MaiQ/s320/connected.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br />Through seeing our common humanity, we will then also be able to see our interconnectedness with one another. How does seeing that we are connected to one another affect how we live our lives? We have a responsibility to each other that flows through this connection. If there are still places in the world which are torn by war, or families whose lives are wrecked by natural disasters, or there is still one hungry person among our midst, then we are still responsible for all these people as one person’s suffering is part of the shared human experience of all. And this responsibility is huge, for we are not only to be responsible for our loved ones (which already could be a difficulty in itself), we must see that we are also responsible for the strangers among us. </div><br /><div align="justify"><br />In Singapore, we always like to greet people with “Jia ba buey?” (Have you had your meal?). If one day, someone answers, “No, I have not and I do not have any money to eat and I am hungry.”, what would our response be? In the parable of the sheep and the goats, taken from Matthew 25: 31-46, Jesus taught us exactly what we should do.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Matthew 25: 31-46<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">31</span> “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">32</span> All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">33</span> He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">34</span> “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘<em>Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world</em>.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">35</span> <em>For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in</em>,<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">36</span> <em>I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">37</span> “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">38</span> When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">39</span> When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">40</span> “The King will reply, ‘<em>Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">41</span> “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘<em>Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels</em>.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">42</span> <em>For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink</em>, </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">43</span> <em>I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">44</span> “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing<br />clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">45</span> “He will reply, ‘<em>Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">46</span> “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><br />I personally like the way people in Zimbabwee greet each other. In the morning, it would go<br />something like this:<br />(Good morning, did you sleep well?) And the reply will be: (I slept well, if you slept well.)<br />And in the middle of the day, the greetings would be:<br />(How has your day been?) The reply will then be: (My day has been good, if your day has been<br />good.) </div><br /><div align="justify"><br />In other words, we are so connected that if you did not sleep well, or if you are not having a good day, how can I sleep well or have a good day? This kind of greeting would apply to close family and to strangers. What a wonderful place this world would be, if every one could be treated this way.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The two greatest commandments written in the bible is found in from Matthew 22: 37-40:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">37</span> Jesus replied: “‘<em>Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">38</span> This is the first and greatest commandment.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">39</span> And the second is like it: ‘<em>Love your neighbor as yourself</em>.’<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">40</span> All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” </div><br /><div align="justify"><br />As followers of Christ, obeying these two commandments would be the biggest challenge in our lives. In knowing our common humanity, our interconnectedness, and our responsibility for one other, it will help each of us to take the first steps towards living as god asked of us. Then we can truly begin to build a community, where every single one of us will be a part of 我们.</div>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-77988433772182399452012-02-28T02:49:00.002-08:002012-02-28T02:51:00.118-08:00International Women's Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHH0L0IDK3ybZ9TsmfvSYlBfZmIn00PKDUkVpm_LOXqqvbytV7VF89gom3jY5N7nct5UYEQPWZU33GSbTHdA_2ENscYA4PjUMCPzoQLlzcmhjccqngTKqWeoNNUZ9qfcqVQmcicsRGQ/s1600/IWD_wo_men_2012_EFlyer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHH0L0IDK3ybZ9TsmfvSYlBfZmIn00PKDUkVpm_LOXqqvbytV7VF89gom3jY5N7nct5UYEQPWZU33GSbTHdA_2ENscYA4PjUMCPzoQLlzcmhjccqngTKqWeoNNUZ9qfcqVQmcicsRGQ/s400/IWD_wo_men_2012_EFlyer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714137079892933794" /></a><br />Dear all,<br /> <br /> International Women's Day is celebrated on the 8th Mar every year, and our annual International Women's Day service will be held on the Sunday before, 4th Mar 2012. The theme for this year will be Women [wo men (我们)], please do invite your friends (women and men alike) and come join us on that day for service. Hope to see you there !FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-22985694016750997862012-02-04T06:25:00.000-08:002012-02-04T06:26:15.432-08:00NEW Run of LUSH March 2012No guilt in life, no fear in death<br />This is the power of Christ in me<br />From life's first cry to final breath<br />Jesus commands my destiny<br /><br />- In Christ Alone<br /><br /><br />That describes me. I am FREE, free to love and worship.<br /><br />Embracing myself as a Christian lesbian and helping others to come to this same place is my destiny. Lush was where I began reconciling myself to the God that I love so much.<br /><br />Will you begin this journey too? Come walk alongside us, exploring the bible verses on homosexuality and finding a family of support to go through issues life throws at you.<br /><br />To register, please email FCC.lush@gmail.com by 29th February 2012. This run, which is opened only to women, will begin in March 2012. Participants are expected to commit once a week for 6 months.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-69630468375564412672012-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:002012-01-29T19:27:48.719-08:00Idols In Church - Blindspots in Our Theology and PracticeHi all,<br /><br /> Xin Nian Kuai Le !! Looking through some of my e mails and found an interesting article for reflection. LUSH 8 will be starting soon, so do look out for more details coming on this quiet blog :)<br /><br />J.L.<br /><br /><strong>Idols in Church</strong><br />George S Johnson<br /><br />I was a senior at the seminary when the late Warren Quanbeck preached a series of chapel talks on “Idols in the Church.” Somehow those homilies have remained in my memory bank over the years. I think his thoughts are worthy of some conversation today as well.<br />Professor Quanbeck talked about the Bible, the church and the sacraments getting more attention than the Gospel. We had been studying idolatry as a problem in the life of Israel and the early church, but I wondered… certainly modern Christians don’t bow to idols. Our struggles were against racism, consumerism, greed, war and exclusivity, not those things like the Bible, sacraments and the church that are so central to our faith. We don’t bow to any golden calf….do we?<br /><br />Maybe idol is not the best term to use in calling for a critical look at our theology and practices in the church today. Idols in this article refer to those things we believe or practice that become substitutes or an escape from what is essential, what is primary, what is ultimate. Idols are not necessarily bad or unimportant. The problem comes when they get more attention than they deserve, or take our attention away from what should have first priority in our theology and practice.<br /><br /><strong>My church is important to me</strong><br /><br />I have been part of the Lutheran family for 75 years, educated in Lutheran schools and trained in orthodox Lutheran theology. I think I understand the importance of grace and justification by grace through faith. They were central in my preaching for most of my years in the parish. My church is important to me. That is why I feel free to raise questions about its theology and engage in critical thinking.<br /><br />As Director of the Hunger Program of the former American Lutheran Church I was exposed to the pain and exploitation of the so-called third world. When I talked about it, wrote about it and encouraged people to become advocates for the poor and hungry, I wondered why Christians were not more interested in addressing the root causes of the pain that people all over the world were suffering. I asked myself, “Why hasn’t the religious community taken more leadership in changing the values and structures that have messed up our world? Why hasn’t the Biblical teaching of justice been proclaimed and followed?”<br />It is not that we are not concerned about social problems of our day. We collect money and blankets, we bring food, we build houses for the homeless, we take mission trips to New Orleans or Mexico, and a few of us will even write letters to our representatives in government. Charity is important to us. And it should be.<br /><br /><strong>Nothing has changed much</strong><br /><br />But when the hard facts hit the road we discover that nothing has changed that much. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. In spite of all our charity and grace preaching we continue to dominate others, put profit before people, destroy the environment and support the status quo. Working to end poverty is not part of our theological discussion. We stand in long lines to receive the bread and wine but few stand in line to help those whose rights have been ignored or denied. We say the systems that deal with immigration, energy and healthcare in our country are broken. I wonder if our theology is broken.<br /><br />The Ark of the Covenant (a wooden chest) became very important to the people of Israel during the early part of their history. It contained the 10 commandments. They bowed down to it. It was where they experienced the presence of God. However, when it became an idol with almost superstitious elements attached to it, Jeremiah called for an examination of its usefulness. He told them to get rid of it. We all have our own arks that have become traditions and practices needing examination. Maybe we need a Moses to come down from the mountain and expose our modern golden calves.<br /><br />For example: the Biblewe treasure has become an idol for many. It can so easily be used to distract us from what is central. How many years have we debated the gay/lesbian issue in our churches? At the center of the debate is the interpretation of the Bible. It matters what the Bible says, but as Gerd Theissen reminds us, we need to discover what is essential in the Bible. <br /><br /><strong>The Bible is not God</strong><br /><br />The Bible is not God. We may say that but live as though it is. When it comes to what the Bible says about sexuality we become literalists, but when it comes to what the Bible says about money and greed we refer to the metaphorical use of literature by the authors? Are we not all selective literalists? When my interpretation of the Bible is the only correct one, then we can make the Bible an idol that distracts us from what is central to our faith.<br /><br />Worship of the Bible might stem from our neglect of adult education in our congregations. How many active members have leaned what the Bible is and what it is not? A twenty- minute sermon each Sunday will not do it. Perhaps a greater emphasis on adult learning will help us learn how to read the Bible, how to interpret the Bible and how to recognize that the Bible is not God, but one of the ways God is revealed to us. Worship of the Bible can sap our energy needed to love God and our neighbor.<br /><br />At one of our family reunions my niece told me that she and her husband were looking for a church where the pastor believed the Bible. “Oh”, I said, “Have you found some pastors who don’t believe the Bible?” She finally admitted that what she meant was that she wanted a pastor who interpreted the Bible the way she did.<br /><br />It can be a sign of arrogance that ends discussion when we simply say “But the Bible says.” Luther suggested that both the Bible and plain reasonshould be used in discerning what the Bible teaches. He also warned against the Bible becoming a paper Pope.<br /><br /><strong>The Church as Idol</strong><br /><br />The Church is another example of how something that we value can become an idol, something that becomes a substitute for what is most important. After Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be the state religion in the 4th century, the church began to adapt itself to the ways that were patterned after the Empire. Since then we have constantly struggled with how to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus and remain in good standing with governing powers and economic systems.<br /><br />George Barna and Frank Viola in their book, Pagan Christianity, remind us how much of what we do in Christian gatherings each Sunday is not rooted in the scriptures but in the pagan culture and rituals of society. The hierarchical structures of church leadership today match the structures of leadership in the Roman Empire. Visit the consecration of a Bishop to observe what the authors mean. Or note how members sit passively in the pews while one person with authority announces the evangelical truth.<br /><br />This has led to a lack of encouragement for critical thinking among the laity.<br />We tend to put more emphasis on the Sunday worship in a building than we do on loving our neighbor. I was made aware of this recently when one young couple in my Practicingthe Faithclass told me that they had decided to practice being the church on Sundays rather than going to church. So each Sunday now they pack up some food and survival necessities and walk into the canyons of San Diego County near where they live. They learn to know the migrants who sleep there in shacks and have a meal with them. Word and sacrament are present in their effort to be church. They experience the presence of God.<br /><br />Our worship of the church is also manifested in our ecclesiastical certitudes. I (an ordained pastor) was asked to come up to the altar one Sunday during communion to read the words of institution in the liturgy. The intern who was leading worship and preaching that day had not yet received ordination. He could do everything except say the words of institution, according to the rules as explained by the Bishop. He could preach and pray but not say certain words in the Eucharist liturgy. Some idols are hard to let go of.<br /><br /><strong>Eucharist as idol?</strong><br /><br />Another practice in the church that can become an idol is the Sacraments. Keep in mind that an idol can be a good thing, important, but something that diverts our attention away from what is primary and essential. A study of the history of the sacraments in the church can be helpful in learning about the evolution of their development and reasons for their elevation. The sacraments can be either helpful or a distracting in our calling to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” Micah 6:8<br /><br />The Hunger Times, a tabloid used by the Hunger Programs of the three predecessor bodies of the ELCA quoted an Episcopalian bishop who said, “I want the congregations in my diocese to be as energized and active in feeding the poor as they are in participating in the Eucharist.”<br /><br />A few Sundays ago we had a letter-writing Sunday in our parish. Almost everyone lined up that Sunday to come forward to receive the elements at the Eucharist and experience the presence of Jesus. I wished there had been that same line of people willing to write a letter on behalf of the poor and hungry in the world. And I wished that the subversive words and action of Jesus that caused his death would be lifted up in the Eucharist.<br />What would be wrong with a church that reminded its members that they would experience the presence of Jesus in the lives of the excluded in their community as much as they did in the sacraments? Is not this good biblical theology? (Matthew 25) What happened to the sacrament that Jesus instituted for us just before he was executed. I mean the practice of washing one another’s feet (or hands if it is easier)? Jesus’ command to “do this”is just as important as the do thisin the communion liturgy. Has not our strong Eucharistic emphasis encouraged a kind of individualism rather than service in our theology?<br /><br /><strong>Substitution or distraction</strong><br /><br />Larry Rasmussen in Earth Community, Earth Ethics, says that “sacramentalism recognizes and celebrates the divine in, with and under all nature, ourselves included. It is presence, relationship and the care and respect due the sacred.” An idol can be a substitution or a distraction from pure religion, “to visit the orphan and widow in their affliction, loose the bonds of injustice and let the oppressed go free.<br />I wonder if our emphasis on Reformation Theology has become an idol in the Protestant church. It is almost as though we need to get permission from Martin Luther or John Calvin before we can take a stand or talk about changing our theological perspectives.<br />An idol can be something that has served a good purpose but has become a practice or dogma that has overshadowed a more important truth or current reality. Grace yes, but there is more that needs to be declared. Has “grace alone” become an idol?<br /><br />No one would suggest that we are not saved by grace or that our own efforts or beliefs can earn us any merits toward salvation. What has challenged me to think about grace alone as an idol was a chapter in Walter Brueggemann’s book, The Covenanted Self. He questions the use of the word “alone” that Luther places together with the word grace. Brueggemann suggests that Lutheran theology of grace is Paul or Augustine’s interpretation of Jesus, and may be a misreading of Paul.<br /><br />Has “grace alone” become a distraction or escape mechanism from ethical living, from obedience to Christ’s commandment to love our neighbor? Is this why the Sermon on the Mount has remained on the sidelines in our preaching and teaching?<br /><br />Could it be that our emphasis on grace has led us to be less active in the Kingdom work of making a difference in the world? I know what our theology says. If we preach grace enough people will respond by loving their neighbor and loving our enemies. Has it worked that way? Really?<br /><br />Was it the lack of grace preaching that led to the rise of the Third Reich in the 30s?. To apartheid in South Africa? To slavery in our country both before and after the Civil War? To the opposition to equal rights for women and minorities only a few decades ago? To the treatment of Native Americans by Christians in our early history? To our continued support for war and exploitation of less developed countries? To our destruction of the environment in modern times? Was it “grace alone” that was missing? I don’t think so.<br /><br />It was a good Lutheran pastor in Germany who, during the second World War, said: "We have gathered like eagles around the carcass of cheap grace and there we have drunk the poison that has killed the life of following Jesus. We have given away the Word and Sacraments wholesale without asking awkward questions… We have poured forth unending streams of grace. But the call to follow Jesus was hardly ever heard." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship<br /><br /><strong>Theology and practice as idols?</strong><br /><br />Do I dare suggest this next possible idol in the church? Have we made an idol of Jesus in our theology and practice? In Mark 10:18 Jesus passed off a compliment by saying, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." On other occasions Jesus shifted the attention away from himself as God so that the focus could be on something more important; his teaching about the Kingdom of God.<br />This need not take away the divinity of Jesus or the important teaching of the incarnation. Where we get tripped up is in our devotion to Jesus that has distracted us from Jesus’ teachings. Has our attention to the son of Mary and Joseph become an escape from the responsibility to carry out his mission?<br /><br />In the Apostles' Creed we confess what is central to our faith. But nothing is said in this ancient creed about what Jesus taught, his message and his invitation to follow him. Does this mean that beliefs about who Jesus is -- his birth, death and resurrection -- are more important than our relationships to each other and to creation? Much of idolatry can be on an unconscious level. It can be a tradition never really examined.<br /><br />In a book of sermons by Harry Emerson Fosdick, Answers to Real Problems there is a sermon entitled, "The Peril of Worshiping Jesus." He says the world has tried two ways to get rid of Jesus. One was to crucify him. When that didn’t work they used a more subtle technique. They worshiped him. To escape his moral insights and ethical demands, Fosdick says, the world has dressed him up in elaborate metaphysical creeds and sacramental adoration. Jesus never said, "Worship me!" He said, "Follow me!"<br />What then is the essential, the ultimate, the most important element in our theology and practice? Is it not the Kingdom of God, love of God and neighbor?<br /><br /><strong>Critical reflection needed</strong><br /><br />I have suggested that there are theological blindspots that have kept us from dealing with our global crisis, the inequalities that are a matter of life and death to millions of people in today’s world. We need some critical reflection on what these blindspots are. You may have a different list.<br />Following the Holocaust, the slaughter of some 14 million people including 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany, it was said that, "no theological statement should be made that is not credible in the presence of burning children." How might we state that differently to fit our situation today? Joerg Rieger in his book, God and the Excludedsays that we need to become aware of how our theology has led to our complicity in the current structures that have contributed to the exclusion of so many from the abundant life Jesus talked about.<br /><br />One thing that can help us in this critical self-reflection is a willingness to listen to those who have been and are excluded. When I took a few members of the church I served in Long Beach, CA, to Latin America to learn about hunger and exploitation, my theology was challenged. I discovered why Mary’s song in Luke 1:49-53 is more precious to them than John 3:16. Since then the person, mission and teachings of Jesus have new meaning for me. I have had to reimage some of my theology.<br /><br />Solidarity with the poor means more than taking up offerings for them, or building wells and preaching good sermons about poverty and justice, important though that is. Jesus told his followers to invite the poor to their homes, banquets and parties. This means being at table with them. It means listening and being present with them in their struggles. It means face-to-face encounters and seeing through the windows they see through every day. It means going to their tables, not just inviting them to ours.<br />Maybe Brian Mclaren is right when he says, Everything MustChange, the title of one of his recent books. He isn’t suggesting we throw everything out, but rather be open to examining long held doctrines and practices.<br /><br />I do not claim any certainty in my conclusions. I do have some questions. What I wish for is more conversation.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-90516453408986140742011-12-22T20:32:00.000-08:002011-12-22T20:37:39.516-08:00FCC Christmas ServiceHi all,<br /><br />Once again, we will be having our Christmas service on Christmas Day itself at The Arts House from 5pm onwards. Do come and join us for a day of celebrating and remembering that Christmas is a day for you, for me and for everybody !!FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-22188527009857619852011-12-04T04:41:00.000-08:002011-12-04T04:42:40.660-08:00How do we read the bible?From Cynthia Bourgeault:<br /><br />"How you answer this question depends hugely on what you take the bible to be. IF you believe that the bible is a single, timeless, internally consistent teaching on matters of human morality dictated by God himself, then yes, the Old Testament book of Leviticus is definitely uncomfortable with homosexuality. But it is also uncomfortable with menstruating women, shellfish and pigskin. (And for the record, it has some very harsh words to say about lending money at interest, a prohibition that even Biblical literalists seem to find it perfectly permissible to disregard!)<br /><br />Like most other critically thinking Christians, I see the bible as a symphony (sometimes a cacophony!) of divinely inspired human voices bearing witness to an astonishing evolutionary development in our human understanding of God (or God’s self-disclosure as we grow mature enough to begin to comprehend it, another way of saying the same thing.) The Old Testament, whose 46 books span well over a millennium in their dates of composition, also straddles what scholars call 'The first axial period,' when spontaneously, across the entire globe, human spiritual consciousness seemed to take a huge evolutionary leap forward. In the same time frame that the Biblical psalms were being composed, the planet was also being graced with the Buddha, Lao-Tse, Zoaroaster, and Plato: a quantum leap in human understanding and ethical vision. It simply defies credibility—my credibility, anyway!— to believe that the early Old Testament teachings on animal sacrifice and 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' are at the same level as Ezekiel’s luminous axial prophecy, 'I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh' or Jesus’ stunning 'Love your enemy; bless those who revile you.'<br /><br />This is not in any way to demean holiness of the Bible, but only to affirm that God reveals Godself in time, through process and dialogue, not in unchanging monolithic statements. This does not make the bible less sacred; it makes it more sacred, for it grounds God’s divine presence in the lived reality of our human experience.<br /><br />As a Christian I am bound, when I listen to this diversity of biblical voices, to set my compass by the teachings and the path walked by Jesus himself. Where biblical testimony is internally inconsistent (and even Jesus experienced it this way!), I am bound to honor Jesus as my final court of appeal. And thus, the bottom line must inescapably be that nowhere does Jesus condemn homosexuality, and certainly nowhere does he wish harm upon anyone, even those whom the religious culture is so quick to condemn as sinners. His harsh words are reserved entirely for those whose certainty about their religious rectitude causes them to condemn others, or to block the Spirit’s persistent attempts to open up new channels of forgiveness and hope. Jesus is all about inclusion, forgiveness, and empowerment. In the light of his compassionate presence, people are set free to live their lives in strength and hope, regardless of whether they be considered outcasts by those in the 'religious know.'<br /><br />Thus, as a Christian, when confronted by a tension between a religious certainty which leads me to violate the law of love and a deep unknowing that still moves in the direction of 'loving my neighbor as myself,' I am bound to choose the latter course. Was it not the Pharisees, those so sure that they had 'the law and Moses on their side,' who were the first to condemn Jesus to the grave? And make no mistake: The word Pharisees does not mean 'the Jews;' that utterly reprehensible piece of scapegoating was a product of the early Christian church. Rather, 'Pharisee' names the spiritual sclerotic in each one of us who would prefer the certainty of an unchanging rulebook to the radical open-endedness of God’s ongoing self-revelation in love.<br /><br />If I really follow what the bible teaches, it seems to me that I need to be constantly laying my human arrogance (and in Latin, this word comes from 'a-rogo,' or 'I have no questions'), upon the altar of God’s constantly demonstrated delight in new beginnings. 'I will be what I will be,' is the name he asked Moses to know him by in the book of Exodus. With that as one line of bearing on my thinking, and the steadily increasing revelation of God’s mercy and compassion as the other, I am compelled by my Christianity to refrain from any behaviors or judgments which arrogantly demean the dignity of another human being, or cause him or her to lose hope."<br /><br />Cynthia Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest, writer and retreat leader. She is founding director of the Aspen Wisdom School in Colorado and principal visiting teacher for the Contemplative Society in Victoria, BC, Canada.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-45520838250994058822011-03-13T20:11:00.000-07:002011-03-13T20:12:49.305-07:00Lush 7 is starting!Want to embrace both your sexuality and God TOGETHER? Or simply to know more about Christianity & lesbianism intertwined? <br />Come join us at LUSH!<br /><br />Whether you are straight, conflicted, clueless or just a curious female, you are all welcome.<br /><br />FCC is starting its seventh run of LUSH early April. Beginning in 2005, LUSH aims to give women a different perspective to the homosexuality-thumping bible verses as compared to the mainstream churches.<br /><br />The group will be based on the format of a support group through discussions and sharings. Participants will come together in a safe space to exchange ideas, explore other points of view, and encourage each other along our shared journey. <br />The group will meet once a week, running for approximately 6 months with breaks in between. Generally, Phase 1 which covers “Sexuality and what the Bible says” will take about 8-10 sessions while Phase 2 will take about another 6-8 weeks on a range of topics like Loving Ourselves, Relationships etc. <br /> <br /> <br />Interested participants are required to commit for the entire run. If you are interested or have any enquiries, please email your name & contact number to fcc.lush@gmail.com. We would be collecting S$20 per participant to cover cost of printing materials etc. Do reply by 23rd Mar.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-28379665777685417562011-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:002011-01-05T19:36:34.675-08:00It Gets Better!Hi all,<br /><br /> A video link (may contain adult language) for It Gets Better. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTQNwMxqM3E<br /><br /> Know that there are others out there, it does indeed get better :)FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-23647448205340319062011-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:002011-01-03T20:25:35.490-08:00Happy New Year! FCC Open HouseHi all,<br /><br /> HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year bring to each of us new experiences and growth. FCC is having an Open House this Sunday, do drop by if you are curious about the only gay affirming church in Singapore.<br /> <br /><br />We’ll be having a FCC Welcome Service cum Open House on Sunday, 9 January to welcome all the newcomers who came for our Christmas services, but also for anyone interested to visit and know more about us. So please do spread the word around, and invite people you know to come join us on this day. Jorg is putting together the service, and there will be a simple makan and get-to-know session for all the newcomers after the service.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Here are the details:<br /><br /> <br /><br />HAPPY TOGETHER – Welcome Service<br /><br /> <br /><br />Sunday, 9 January 2011, 10.30 am<br /><br /> <br /><br />Free Community Church<br /><br />56 Lorong 23, Geylang<br /><br />Level 3, Century Technology Building<br /><br />www.freecomchurch.orgFCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-1734777563284220822010-12-22T20:43:00.000-08:002010-12-22T20:50:06.247-08:00Merry Christmas!Hi all,<br /><br /><br /> It's end of the year again, and christmas is fast approaching. If you have no plans yet for christmas day itself, do come down for the Free Community Church Christmas service. Information as follows: <br /><br />Free Community Church - Together again!<br />25 Dec 2010<br />3pm and 5.30pm<br />The Arts House @ Old Parliament<br />1 Old Parliament Lane S179429<br /><br /><br /> There are 2 services that day. Do drop by if you are free!<br /><br /> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-27986077986939406352010-10-06T02:50:00.000-07:002010-10-06T02:53:54.757-07:00FCC Anniversay Service<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXD2iWEh9N-D4t-84oKWLq3scEJAXJ3Gzh3f2vyMBzL3N83zvmkFXjuppxaOFc4yS_YqmJEvaltAAmLQ8Xy_3zjTVPsNbzYDHlZcj7FCMGi6bkD9TPGcxEeBbR2LsUCozRBHb_vkQHGw/s1600/FCCanniversary.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524868921419744546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXD2iWEh9N-D4t-84oKWLq3scEJAXJ3Gzh3f2vyMBzL3N83zvmkFXjuppxaOFc4yS_YqmJEvaltAAmLQ8Xy_3zjTVPsNbzYDHlZcj7FCMGi6bkD9TPGcxEeBbR2LsUCozRBHb_vkQHGw/s400/FCCanniversary.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Hi all,</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For all those who reads this blog, Free Community Church is celebrating its 7th anniversay this Sunday (10 Oct 2010). So if anyone is interested to visit a gay friendly church, do pop on by. Hope to see some of you there.</div>FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-79647229675241449542010-08-04T22:15:00.000-07:002010-08-04T22:17:46.711-07:00It's August already :)Hi all,<br /><br />Time flies, and it's now august 2010. The same tme we are celebrating our country's birthday, we are also celebrating Indignation. There's a series of events held this month, do go and support some of them.<br /><br />http://indignationsg.wordpress.com/FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-37494304879628063202010-04-29T23:55:00.000-07:002010-04-29T23:59:31.652-07:00Pink Dot 2010Hi all,<br /><br /> FYI, there is going to be an event on 15 May. A bunch of us will be there, do drop by and show your support if you are free. Some videos and more information can be found at http://www.pinkdotsg.blogspot.com/. <br /><br />Pink Dot 2010<br />Venue: Speakers Corner / Hong Lim Park [map] <br /><br />Date & Time: May 15, 2010 (Saturday), 5:00pm - 6:30pm <br /><br />What to wear: Pink (caps, hats, glasses, sunglasses and accessories are recommended.) <br /><br />What to bring: Anyone who supports the freedom of LGBT Singaporeans to love! Note that this is a family-friendly event. <br /><br />Who will be there? Adrian Pang, Tan Kheng Hua, DJ Big Kid, and more! Check out our Facebook Event Page <br /><br />What to expect: Performances, freebies, and the formation of a huge human pink dot (a photograph of which will be taken from a vantage point nearby). <br /><br />This is a 100% legit and legal event. It is NOT a protest, rally or demonstration, but a simple gathering of like-minded Singaporeans.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-11871682840749337882010-02-14T07:15:00.001-08:002010-02-14T07:17:17.411-08:00Authentic ChristianityLiving life authentically as a Christian who happens to be gay is something I find extremely difficult...even today as I'm typing this. <br /><br /><br />Before I joined LUSH, having read the "clobber passages", heard the condemning as well as the affirming perspectives of the faith-sexuality issue, I was at a point where I was assured that God loves me. It was a long and hard struggle just to arrive at that point and it took years of tears and pain, countless nights of questioning God and questioning myself. <br /><br /><br />However, even with this assurance, I still felt very alone in this situation. Most people I know are either Christian and heterosexual, or queer and non-Christian (or non-practicing Christians). I remember stumbling upon FCC's website, reading about it and thinking how wonderful it would be to meet fellow queer Brothers- and Sisters-In Christ in Singapore who could worship God, just as they are, without having to mask or conceal any part of who they really are.<br /><br /><br />I can't worship regularly at FCC because I attend another church with my family but the first time I went to FCC was one of those times when my folks were out of town. That was when I was told about LUSH. I knew I wanted to join the next available run of LUSH and I'm really thankful that I did.<br /><br /><br />I can't promise that you will get answers or miracles, but I trust that you will meet fellow Sisters-In-Christ who can identify better with the faith-sexuality issues and struggles you face, and share experiences, stories and encouragement as we journey on together towards living authentic, victorious and God-centered lives.<br /><br /><br />- BFCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-90551250098462720812010-01-05T05:55:00.000-08:002010-01-05T06:02:03.931-08:00Lush 6 beginning in FebruaryDo you sometimes feel you are living a secret double life? <br />Are you sick of the guilt and feeling like a sinner beyond redemption?<br />Or perhaps you have chosen to embrace your sexuality but have drifted away from God in the process?<br /><br />Your sexuality and your Faith need not be mutually-exclusive! <br />If you would like to find out more about this possibility, come join us at LUSH.<br />Whether you are straight, conflicted, clueless or just a curious female, you are all welcome.<br /><br />FCC is having its sixth run of LUSH early 2010. Started in 2005, LUSH aims<br />to give women a different perspective to the homosexuality-thumping bible<br />verses as compared to the mainstream churches.<br /><br />The group will be based on the format of a support group, providing a safe space to exchange ideas, explore other points of view, and encourage each other along our shared journey. (To aid the effectiveness of such a format for sharing, the size of the group will be limited, and members will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.) The format will be based on discussions and sharing on a range of issues from the topics: Loving Ourselves; Sexuality and what the Bible says;Our Relationships. The group will be once a week, running for approximately 6 months with breaks in between.<br /> <br />Interested participants are required to commit for the entire run. If you are interested or have any enquiries, please email your name & contact number to fcc.lush@gmail.com Please reply by 22th Jan.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433279684206954459.post-40154774620461986532009-11-18T04:18:00.000-08:002009-11-18T04:29:16.349-08:00An Interview: The Church (not the Bible) discriminates against gays, says pastor<strong>An article posted on theonlinecitizen.com.</strong><br /><br />In this article the writer (Kelvin Teo) speaks to Reverend Doctor Yap Kim Hao, pastoral advisor to the Free Community Church (FCC), on his views about homosexuality and Christianity.<br /><br />The AWARE saga earlier this year saw the Christian community torn apart by differing interpretations of homosexuality. While the most vocal of advocates were adamant that homosexuality in itself is a sin against the Christian faith, other moderates and liberals plead for a more inclusive understanding of Christianity.<br /><br />Reverend Doctor Yap Kim Hao represents the liberal point of view. He earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of theology degrees from the Boston University School of Theology. Rev Dr Yap was consecrated the 1st Asian Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia in 1968 and was made the Visiting Professor of World Christianity at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.<br /><br />The FCC is not recognized by the National Council of Churches in Singapore because of its controversial stance towards homosexuality. It does not ostracise against gays, and is probably the only church in Singapore that does not treat homosexuality as a sin. Furthermore, the reputation of the FCC as a gay group has rendered the church unable to register as a legitimate organization. To circumvent regulations, the church has registered itself as a company, and worship sessions are considered private gatherings [1].<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Kelvin: You are currently serving as Pastoral Advisor to the Free Community Church, a role you regard as the calling of God, since your retirement from full-time Christian ministry. Your mission is to declare Christ’s inclusive love (the Agape spirit) to those who have been ostracized and neglected for far too long by the Church. Care to share with us what specific events occurred in your life that led you to live up to your calling?</strong><br /></span><br />YKH: Early in my ministry a leading lawyer asked me the question about the teaching of the Church on the issue of homosexuality. This issue was not discussed publicly at that time. The Church did not bother to state its position. The gays and lesbians were in their closets and most people assumed it to be a closed subject since the Bible has declared that same-sex relationship is wrong. In my naiveté, I looked up the five or six biblical passages that relate to it which concluded that homosexuality is a sin.<br /><br />Later, I re-read, studied and interpreted the passages which were not taught even in my seminary. Reputable scholars of the Bible with un conventional views gave their own interpretations which seem to be credible and convincing to me.<br /><br />The story of Sodom now linguistically linked to sodomy was an issue of inhospitality to visiting strangers. It is never an account about same-sex relations. It was as defined in Ezekial 16:47-50 as pride, gluttony, and prosperous ease and refusal to aid the poor and needy. Sodom is a symbol of God’s judgment rather than same-sex relations.<br /><br />The word homosexuality as we understand it today is a modern word and has no equivalent in the original Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible. It was first coined in 1869 by a Swiss doctor to refer to aesthetic attraction, romantic love and sexual desire exclusively between members of the same sex. It was injected into the Bible as late as 1946 in the Revised Standard Version by the translators and was subsequently dropped in 1971. With such evidence how can I regard homosexuality a sin?<br /><br />Moving on, when a medical graduate from a wealthy family had come out to his mother, he requested me to counsel her about acceptance of her homosexual son. Again I naively asked the question whether with all his money he has consulted a good psychiatrist to cure his mental disorder. He turned to me with his quizzical look and I was embarrassed for I had asked a stupid question.<br /><br />I then learnt that already in 1973 the American Psychiatric Association has removed homosexuality from its list of personality disorders. This was followed by other Western professional associations of psychology, counseling, mental health, pediatrics, school teachers, social workers and other related groups.<br /><br />They also raised concerns about the bad effects of reparative therapy which seeks to change sexual orientation. In August 2009, the American Psychological Association (150,000 members) Governing Council declared that “No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-4 vote.<br /><br />The APA said some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies. It is the most comprehensive repudiation of “reparative therapy” which is pursued by a small group of religiously conservative therapists who maintain gays can change their sexual orientation. Can I ignore the declarations and warnings of these proficient professional associations?<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Kelvin: In a letter published to the Straits Times on 18 July 2003, you described an interesting account of how you used to believe homosexual acts are always wrong. After listening to gay and lesbian students and friends, however, you have had to rethink your position and reread the Scriptures. Do you mind sharing with us the kind of thought processes you went through when you re-read the scriptures that finally led to your re-evaluation of your position (referring to the scriptures if you wish)?</strong> </span><br /><br />YKH: In a more careful study of the Bible I realised that the words of the Bible were not dictated or handed down by God. Faithful and inspired men and a few women received what they believed to be revelations which were not literal words but interpretations of their understanding of what God had revealed. They were first transmitted orally. They subsequently wrote them down and the words of the Bible were copied and translated into different languages from the original Hebrew and Greek.<br /><br />The Bible contains interpreted words of the writers of the different books of the Bible. There were other religious books which were not able to gain acceptance by the religious authorities then to form the sacred text of the Bible. The Bible is historically related and culturally bound. We are compelled to study and interpret its relevance to our contemporary context. The process continues.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Kelvin: What kind of internal struggles do you think a homosexual Christian will experience?</strong><br /></span><strong><br /></strong>YKH: Christian LGBT faced far too long the rejection, marginalisation, stigmatisation, ostracisation and oppression in society. They were forced to stay in lonely isolation in their closets. They were compelled to act as if they are straights when they appear in public. A heavy burden of guilt was placed on their shoulders and they cry out in their silence and solitude. They did not choose to be a homosexual.<br /><br />On the contrary, they want to change their sexual orientation and they tried prayer, exorcism, reparative therapy but of no avail. In their spiritual and emotional struggles there are those who were able to overcome and believe that God loves them and affirm homosexuality is a gift of God that they accept with grace and able to come out to the world with pride.<br /><br />Society is beginning to be enlightened and becoming to be aware that the LGBT person can believe and sing “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” The tide of their liberation is rising everywhere for those who have eyes to see. God has heard their cries and will deliver them.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Kelvin: What was the effect of the AWARE saga on the Christian community specifically?</strong><br /></span><br />YKH: The AWARE saga was a revealing experience in our society. It shows the danger of Christian fundamentalism. It had surfaced the schemes of the Christian Religious Right.<br />A government leader in a private conversation with me commented that one can do that in America where the majority are Christian oriented although it is not good to splinter the Christian community. But in a multi-religious society in Singapore it is a totally dangerous development.<br /><br />No one religion should impose its beliefs and values and displace those from other religions. We cannot afford to tear apart the delicate fabric of social cohesion. We cannot have the luxury to engage in religious conflict between faith communities. We need to respect differences in our diversity, engage in dialogue and work together for the common good and ensure a just and peaceful future.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Kelvin: What are the possible approaches of engaging the Christian community in a way that will lead to the acceptance of brothers and sisters-in-Christ who are gays and lesbians?</span></strong><br /><br />YKH: Most of the Christian churches have recently been politically correct to declare that they welcome homosexuals and love them. It seems to be that there is an unwritten condition that the homosexuals should not tell that they are gay and if they do then they must recognize that homosexuality is a sin and that they should not engage in same-sex acts and become celibate.<br />Gays and lesbians know that too well and will continue to stay in the larger closet of the congregation and forced to wear masks and live a lie that they are just like them.<br /><br />The Christian community must re-study the Scriptures and reflect upon the interpretation of the particular passages relating to same-sex acts and come to their own decision whether the Church’s official teaching that homosexuality is a sin or not.<br /><br />Most people shun and avoid meeting the gays and lesbians. They are people of sacred worth created by God like you and me. We are called to love even our enemies and they are not your enemies. He or she is your own son and daughter or your relative and they were born into your family and they did not choose to be there. Own them and love them, they are your kith and kin. The gay person is a human being created by the same God who created you and me and each one of us different. We belong together to God the Creator of us all. We are one human family.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Kelvin: What are the possible approaches of engaging the Christian community in a way that will lead to the acceptance of brothers and sisters-in-Christ who are gays and lesbians?</strong><br /></span><br />YKH: Most of the Christian churches have recently been politically correct to declare that they welcome homosexuals and love them. It seems to be that there is an unwritten condition that the homosexuals should not tell that they are gay and if they do then they must recognize that homosexuality is a sin and that they should not engage in same-sex acts and become celibate.<br />Gays and lesbians know that too well and will continue to stay in the larger closet of the congregation and forced to wear masks and live a lie that they are just like them.<br /><br />The Christian community must re-study the Scriptures and reflect upon the interpretation of the particular passages relating to same-sex acts and come to their own decision whether the Church’s official teaching that homosexuality is a sin or not.<br /><br />Most people shun and avoid meeting the gays and lesbians. They are people of sacred worth created by God like you and me. We are called to love even our enemies and they are not your enemies. He or she is your own son and daughter or your relative and they were born into your family and they did not choose to be there. Own them and love them, they are your kith and kin. The gay person is a human being created by the same God who created you and me and each one of us different. We belong together to God the Creator of us all. We are one human family.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Kelvin: Care to share with us the high points and low points of your service as Pastoral Advisor to the Free Community Church?</span></strong><br /><br />YKH: I regard it as a privilege and a calling of God to stand alongside with those who are despised and rejected. Even though I am being misunderstood widely I find this a defining moment in my ministry. Knowing that I do not agree with the teaching of the Church on this particular issue I believe that I have to be obedient to God in serving the LGBT community.<br />When I see the liberating effects of those who made the hard decision and dare to appear in the Free Community Church (FCC) at a great risk, I thank God that they have come home and received God’s welcome. They are free at last from guilt and shame and walk with their heads held high. They start with leaving their masks at the door of FCC and then throwing their masks away as they relate to others in the world.<br /><br />There are those in FCC who are still in doubt and wrestling with the issue of their sexual orientation. They have to unload the false teaching of the Church and it is not easy. It was cruel of the Christian community to cause them so much suffering and pain. They need to regain their self-esteem and worship the God who is loving.<br /><br />The follow-up service is to help those in FCC who have accepted their sexual orientation to live the responsible life of a Christian LGBT. The moral quality of life must be different from those who are not guided by religious faith. They will need to grow in spirituality and improve the quality of Christian living.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Kelvin: If there is a message that you can pass on to (i) homosexual Christian and (ii) other Christians who have yet to accept their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters-in-Christ for who they are, what would it be?</span></strong><br /><br />YKH: Do not remain in your closet and exist in lonely existence. There is help and hope available around you. Seek out others around you who can support you in your struggle. Keep your faith in Christ who will set you free.<br /><br />Know the damage done by the Church to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Many have abandoned the Church because they have not been ministered. We have cast them out and they are rebellious and have given up on Christian faith. Reach out to them.as a witness for Christ who associated with the dispossessed. Extend your hand in genuine friendship and concern and embrace them with your love and affection.FCC LUSHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703302261096133438noreply@blogger.com0