LET US REMEMBER-test

LET US REMEMBER Reflections from NTU Christian Fellowship This is our group photo taken at the end of our first online annual general meeting. This photo like is not aesthetically pleasing but it best describes our situation.

Editor's Note So far, 2020 has been a tumultuous year. I relate to Habakkuk’s struggle with God’s Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; COVID-19 has wrecked the world and plan. We observe a constant conversation I will take joy in the God of we’re experiencing strict social distancing and wrestling between Habakkuk and my salvation. (Hab 3:18) measures in Singapore. Our Christian God, especially when it comes to things Fellowship’s (CF) activities had been Habakkuk doesn’t understand. He boldly Habakkuk teaches us many things. It abruptly halted midway through the questions God’s plans – how could He encourages me to be like the prophet; to semester and we were forced to deal with raise the evil Chaldeans to judge Israel? lament. This season calls us to lament not this sudden, massive change. As a Thinking about my own circumstances, I simply for ourselves, but for the silent, student ministry which thrives on face- struggle to understand why God would who are unable to cry out. Think of the to-face interactions, we’ve found it allow COVID-19 to happen; why am I people hit hardest by this outbreak, those difficult to adapt – going digital is a poor forced out of physical fellowship with who had been forgotten by society. We substitute. At such extraordinary times, Christians, not to mention other lament because we do not understand we ask ourselves and God – ‘why?’ Why inconveniences. I struggle with God why this is happening, and we question have You allowed such pain and suffering whenever I engage with social media, God’s motivations. While lamenting, let us to happen; why have we been forced out witnessing the injustice committed remind ourselves of what God has of fellowship? We lament, crying out against our foreign workers, healthcare already done, and continue to put our passionately to God in our grief and workers, and couriers. Is God exposing hope in Christ. sorrow, offering up our questions and our fault-lines and blind spots in this observations of suffering. outbreak? I see others who are affected Take care, stay safe, and may you unequally by the Circuit Breaker; people continue to find strength in the God of O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, in lower economic classes are affected our salvation. - J and you would not hear? disproportionately more than those above. Or cry to you 'violence!' and you would not save? Habakkuk ends off with a prayer. He (Hab 1:2) continues to lament, in fear and trembling. However, Habakkuk recalls This newsletter is a collection of writings Moses’ jubilant song of the sea (Ex 15), from all our CF-ers, about their past year when God ‘went out for the salvation of in CF and their thoughts about the (His) people, for the salvation of (His) current situation. As you read on, we anointed. (God) crushed the head of the hope that you would empathise and be house of the wicked, laying him bare from encouraged. If you’re reading this in the thigh to neck’. (Hab 3:13). Habakkuk aftermath, we hope that you remember recalls the past exodus; God brought His the lessons learnt during this season. Let people out of Egypt and restored them. us always remember that even in such Habakkuk, amidst his lament and wrestle, times, God is still at work with/in us. still holds on to this hope of future restoration. Habakkuk, despite voicing his In preparation for this piece, I reflected doubt and questions of faith, still clings on Habakkuk’s prayer. At the beginning onto God and trusts Him, believing that of the book, the prophet cries out (Hab this covenantal God will deliver him and 1:2), lamenting to God about the amount keep His promises. of injustice and violence around him, as well as the failure of the justice systems which have caused added pain and suffering. God answers Habakkuk by revealing His plan – He will raise up the Chaldeans against Israel. Habakkuk becomes even more distressed, questioning why God would raise up an eviler nation against Israel.

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Lifting my eyes to the hills and the Healer The COVID-19 situation has always weighed I struggle with all of the above. But I thank With the numbers increasing every day and heavily on my heart. It has been three months the corona virus for bringing out all these as more heart-wrenching stories are shared since I first started following the news on the problems that I otherwise would not have around, it is easy to fall into a feeling of corona virus and things have indeed changed faced. In fact, some, if not all, of these despair. After all, everyone is affected in one quickly and drastically. Now spending more problems reveal unseen issues that have been way or another. We have been, and will be, time at home, I have grown to approach festering under the surface. Have I truly stuck in this (circuit) broken situation for everything with immense thankfulness. appreciated the house I live in and the things quite some time. But in the midst of all this, I that help us get by – our fans and air- learnt to lift up my eyes and look. With the circuit breaker measures in place, conditioners, our refrigerators, our clean churches have been forced to move online. water supply, our phones and devices? Have I 1. Look on the bright side. This is the perfect Everyone has had to adapt to physical taken my family for granted? Do I have opportunity to work on my above mentioned fellowship sessions such as SG being unresolved conflicts with my family members issues and have meaningful conversations converted to online Zoom meetings, and who stay under the same roof, and is God about the new questions in my head. I can Sunday service to live streams. School has calling me to resolve them? Do I truly know take this chance as a time out to mend also moved online, with graded assessments my family, or have we become estranged over broken relationships and give myself some and quizzes that would take up substantial time as our lives got busier? The same goes self-care after running around with all my percentages of our final grade. Many new for my spiritual family in church and CF: responsibilities during the school term. Even problems have since surfaced: Some of us Have I taken every Sunday for granted, though I cannot meet my friends, we at least suffer from being unable to worship as well as thinking that I don’t need to invest time and have technology to connect online. I have also before, or connect with our fellow brothers effort into the relationships there because we come to realise that the corona virus brings and sisters with the same level of closeness will see each other again in a week’s time? out the best and the worst in us. This as before. Some who share rooms with Have I grown to be passive in my walk with experience is a rare chance as I have learnt siblings are bothered by privacy issues. Some God, waiting for the physical church service and am still learning loads about myself as of us are more distracted than usual and to roll around every week before I connect well as the people around me, and this helps cannot concentrate on our work. Yet others with God? us become better people. Light cannot shine are frustrated by family quarrels over shared without darkness; I am also very encouraged spaces or differing sleep schedules. \"Many new problems have since by the kind acts of many people who have surfaced: Some of us suffer from generously given out of their own pockets to being unable to worship as well help those in need, as well as the selfless as before, or connect with our service of healthcare workers and others who fellow brothers and sisters with are working or volunteering. the same level of closeness as before.\"

2. More importantly – most importantly! – we During this period, God also spoke to me should look to God. There are many relevant about the importance of testimony. Over the passages in the Bible which we can reflect on past few months, I found myself pondering to help us frame our mindset, but let me share questions like these: Do we hold on to a with you Romans 8, which gave me immense complacent mindset? Did we take Singapore’s encouragement during this pandemic. healthcare for granted? Did we not take e- Creation groans, awaiting the glorious future; learning seriously? Should we have treated we, too, look forward to the end of our our teachers with more empathy, who have suffering. While people are literally being themselves also spent extra effort in coming “slaughtered like sheep” by the virus, let us up with alternative lessons and assessments? remember that God has shown His unending Have we cared enough for the migrant love by sending His Son, and that nothing can workers in Singapore? Ecclesiastes 11:9 says separate us from God’s love. that we can enjoy ourselves while we are young, but remember that we are accountable \"While I don’t know His purpose to God, who judges us. In these times of now, I take comfort in the fact difficulty, it would be wise to also be aware of that He is still in control. He is how our non-Christian friends may view us if always in control.\" we are not careful in our decisions and actions. In fact, why not use this as an For I am convinced that neither death nor life, opportunity to share our faith with our neither angels nor demons, neither the friends? May the Lord open our eyes and present nor the future, nor any powers, soften our hearts to those hurting around us, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in and give them comfort through our words all creation, will be able to separate us from and acts of encouragement. the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 3:38-39 \"Over the past few months, I found myself pondering questions God is our Abba, Father, who loves us deeply. And not only that – He is also powerful. Had like these: Do we hold on to a He not given permission, the virus would not complacent mindset?\" have been allowed to take so many lives today. While I don’t know His purpose now, I I hope that we can all emerge from this take comfort in the fact that He is still in circuit breaker stronger. With the extra time control. He is always in control. we save from staying at home, let us spend it with our Father. Let us bring all our troubles This year, Easter passed with a strange and worries to Him. Let us remember the quietness. While I struggled to get myself to vulnerable, pray for their protection and do focus and reflect deeply on what Christ has what we can to help. Let us mourn with those done for us, I received a wonderful reminder who mourn. Let us start conversations with that although we are all physically separated, our friends to encourage and build up in these Christians all around the world celebrated the trying times. same event while facing the same difficulties, with many experiencing much more pain than I thank God for the hope that we have in we do in Singapore. But the fact remains that eternity. We may be in the middle of a raging Jesus has overcome the world. Churches all storm, but God is still in control. He is right around the world are empty; so was the tomb. here with us. Hui Wan Yan Winnie Thursday Hall Small Group