Illusion of Words

Prayer Camp

Perhaps it was by no accident that I came to be part of the Prayer Camp committee, and that my father was the speaker. So on that bright beautiful day, I boarded a car along with some others, along with my (regretfully) regrets because it would be the end of the holidays by the time I returned.

The two-and-a-half drive was almost insufferable, but we arrived at Kingwood Hotel, Mukah, unscathed. Everyone proceeded to their respective rooms, including me, who had a whole room to myself because the other occupants (my family) would be arriving later.

An hour later, we were led into ‘prayer walking’, something which most people found interesting and new. As its name suggests, we walked around the hotel grounds while praying, something which I found quite hard to do as my mind was kind of blank.

Then lunch. Much to the delight of everyone, it was banquet-styled. After filling our stomachs, we headed for a rest, then a session of ice-breaking, where people screamed like little kids and also sat around bored to tears.

Following a buffet dinner, we had our first prayer meeting of the camp. Pastor John led us down a road of past wounds, which only God can heal.

The first night, we slept at around nine thirty. For some, such an early bedtime was but a distant memory from childhood, but the rule was obeyed.

The sun had yet to dawn when the noisy morning calls came at 4.30am. With groggy eyes and weary bodies, we dragged ourselves into the hall for an early morning prayer meeting. It was a first-timer for most, as we knelt and prayed in small groups – aloud. That was a breakthrough. I never imagined the youths of the Youth Worship, Wesley could pray aloud.

A filling breakfast later, we had the first talk – ‘Watch and Pray’. I’m sure youths were inspired to keep watch and pray. Then there was the green book ‘Freedom in Christ’. During the first session, some people must’ve been confused, but followed nevertheless the steps needed.

Personal time with God was indeed personal, but everyone was finished within an hour despite the given one-and-a-half hours. The beach (or what is left of it) was scoured thoroughly by crab-finding youths.

We were then called back to the hall. Lunch? Well, no. Fast and prayer session. Again, it was a first for many, who thought it nearly impossible to go without a meal. But we all survived.

In the afternoon it was nap time. Wait. Why are we taking nap during a camp? The answer lies in the midnight prayer meeting until 2 am. So everyone took a nap – some unsuccessfully. Then the moment nap time was over, people dispersed. Some jumped eagerly into the swimming pool. Some took strolls down the beach (or should I say beside the beach?). While still others hung out in their rooms watching TV.

Dinner was welcomed warmly by hungry stomachs. Then we began on the last two sessions of ‘Freedom in Christ’. Bondages were indeed broken. Personal time with God later, we had our midnight prayer meeting.

As one of the ‘items’, the advisors lined up in the front. The youths were asked to come up and be prayed for by their choice advisor. In the dim yellow lights, the whole atmosphere was almost magical. Tears were shed as the voices of fervent prayers rose amid the song ‘Power of Your Love’. Then we ventured to pray for a continuous 20 minutes, which ended up not enough, according to most. Looks like we have too much to say to God, just that we never take the time and energy to.

We were allowed to sleep until 8am that night, and afterwards there was a time of sharing. Over 90% of the youths shared on how they were touched by God during the camp. It was amazing as you would have to force people to share during any other occasion. But this time, they willingly took the microphone. There were new insights and tissues.

Then an extravagant lunch later, we headed for home. The blistering heat was overwhelming, but God sent showers of blessings – literally. I could sense God’s presence the entire prayer camp, changing the youths and challenging them to grow closer to Him. The whole camp, being a success, hopefully will bring about personal revival in each and every one of the participants.

This is the original version. Edited version is available in Connection later.

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Church Sketch

Recently a couple of people and I have been commissioned to write a sketch for the youth Christmas party at the end of the year. Deadline? Next Sunday. 7 short short days.

And that’s really quite impossible to produce something great. Some modern Christmas day story was the ‘director’s’ order. So I found this site full of Christmas sketches, which solved the problem.

At least it almost solved the problem. Now I’ve to choose. Or rather, we have to. Filter out the heavy stuff, left with the ‘lighthearted’ category (because I don’t think anyone can act out a sad scene without making everybody laugh). Next, filter the ones above 30 minutes and below 12 minutes. After that, filter the ones that need children to act.

Not many left. I favor this sketch which contains a bunch of rewritten secular songs. It’s hilarious. But I don’t think it’s right. What about the X-iles? Costumes and such. I don’t know.

Argh. Whatever.

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Sunday Sermon 09/10

Looks like I’m doing weekly reviews of sermons from Wesley Church…

Anyway, today was Rev Lau preaching. For one who almost never speaks, much less preaches, in English, it wasn’t too bad. Although it did feel like listening to a bad French accent. Which is quite yucky. But really, not a bad try.

She had the congregation laughing. The title of the sermon was ‘The Steadfast Love’. And we are to have steadfast love. I can’t remember though how we are to love…whatever. *hides ashamedly*

It was the first time in my life sitting through a morning service in Wesley, that the congregation clapped hands when the pastor finished. It was amazing, almost scary. Mainly because the sermon was finished, and nobody was sure that it was finished, so Rev Lau said, ‘Amen!’, which made everyone laugh and clap loudly.

One word about the powerpoint in the morning service: Obviously whoever did it can’t read Chinese, as he or she sort of got lost during the Chinese slides.

Then youth worship. My mom preached today. On purity. Which is quite a sensitive issue for youths. Everybody was pretty much interested and nervous. But I believe some were touched and perhaps will change. Thank God for those who will strive to live a holy life from now on.

Don’t ask, ‘What about you?’ Really.

Nothing to do with sermons: I am going to change the template and stuff, as I think the current one is horrendously horrible. And by the way, for the first time in my life, I tried my hand in drabble (exactly 100-word piece of writing). Not really good. Perhaps next week I’ll post it, as I don’t have the time to do now. Got to go watch Smallville, coming back to TV3 tonight. Whatever season it is.

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Seminar

There was a Youth Ministry Training in Wesley. Literally it was for adults who are ministering to youths, but because of the embarassing lack of participants, the youths were dragged into it too.

Of course I had to go. Twice in the week people called to remind me about the training. I promised to go once Saturday afternoon, even though there were three sessions. I wasn’t about to torture myself with so many sessions that frankly, has nothing much to do with me.

So sitting there in the little chapel, with less than 50 people sitting around, I felt a little sorry for the speaker. Not very nice when you’re speaking in a seminar to so few people.

(Cut to say that the USB port is so stupid!!!! The computer man came twice and it still can’t work!!!!)

Anyway, the speaker is from West Malaysia, a Dr Herbert Tan, who reminded me somewhat of the tour guide we had during some trip, who was disliked by everyone. Of course, this speaker has nothing to do with tour guides, and everything to do with youth ministry.

He was talking about generation gaps and stuff like that. Doing youth ministry has become a cross-cultural mission, because the adults and the youth belong to two different generations and two different cultures. To reach out to the youths, we have to learn their language, and stuff similar to that, just as what cross-cultural missionaries usually do. Talking about SMS and chat language, I’m not sure where I fit in those. I’m a youth, that’s for sure, if you know my age. But I don’t chat, I don’t SMS, and I’m quite anti ‘bad English’, as used in such areas by most teens. I prefer using the normal English.

(Cut again. The USB port isn’t dumb anymore, it worked perfectly, but my mom deleted my pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Back. Which makes me wonder where do I actually stand in all this adult and teen stuff. Teens love movies. I don’t fancy them, as I don’t really have the time.

In any case, I still have some characteristics of today’s youth. Is that to be a comfort?

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Sunday Sermon

Today’s Sunday worship service we had this guest speaker called Pastor Pax Tan. He was weird, and mostly funny.

I had to listen to him preaching in two services. The first time I heard him begin the sermon, I sighed and thought it was going to be an ‘err’ sermon because he erred, like every two sentences. But just five minutes later all the ‘errs’ vanished and were replaced by ‘hellos’. As in, ‘Hello?’ which was really weird and somewhat annoying after one too many times.

During the Youth Worship Service he preached on the passage of sheep and goats. In the beginning of the sermon he had all the acknowledgements: Thanks to all the auntie and uncles from the bottom of my liver…

Which he explained that his heart had been taken by his wife so only can the liver. Everybody was laughing so hard but I don’t think most caught the joke. ‘Hati’ in Malay is usually used for heart, but technically and biologically, it means liver. So literally when you’re thanking someone in Malay from the bottom of your ‘hati’, you’re thanking them from the bottom of your liver.

So much for that.

There were funny stuff sprinkled throughout, but came one part when he actually burst out singing the first line of ‘I Feel Good’. Yeah, that silly song, which so happens to be the theme song of NTV7. In fact, he sang quite well. If only he sang the whole song.

Really, sermons aren’t all about laughter. There are also serious stuff, and I gathered that the main point was doing good works, because it is our duty after being saved by grace. At the end, one of the advisors asked whether we would like him back to preach. As expected, everyone shouted ‘Yes!’, except for some, including me. Have you ever heard people shouting ‘No!’ when asked such a question? It’ll break the pastor’s heart, or rather, liver. The problem was that he sidetracked a little too much. Sidetracked in a way he was still talking about the correct stuff, but it’s still called sidetracking.

Anyways, I did learn quite some. You’re saved by grace to do good works. Well, you say you don’t wanna do good works? Then you probably didn’t have a genuine heart in accepting Christ. After all, a genuine heart means you’ll definitely do good works as it’s your duty.

Sometimes it’s a little confusing. If I type anymore about that, I’m really going to get more and more confused.

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Cleaning Day

It has always been a tradition at Wesley Church that every National Day is also Church Cleaning Day. And as one of the lazier ones who don’t enjoy getting dirty, I never did join it (guilty…). This year, I had to. Well, I didn’t really have to, it was just that, you know, I became part of the Youth Worship Committee. It was supposed to be compulsory for the committee members to show up, but not many did anyway.

So the only thing I did was wipe chairs. They weren’t that dirty, which was a good thing. Then I got lazy and itched to walk around the compound. Watching people work is much more fun than working yourself, at times. The first chance I got, I deserted the other chair-wipers. Down the corridor, past every room, there were people working really hard. Wasn’t fun enough.

The fun is always in the biggest room. For a church, where else would it be but the sanctuary? I found my family there, plus a couple of really cute, chubby kids who were sweating hard as they scrubbed the floor. One guy was perched atop the ladder with a broom lengthened with a couple of poles and sweeping the ceiling.

I spent the rest of the time watching and walking around the compound. I won’t say it was fun, but the whole thing wasn’t too bad an experience.

The National Day of Malaysia falls on today, that is 31 August. I remember we used to watch the Merdeka Day procession in the morning on the tv, watching the floats go by the screen. But the excitement of the whole thing faded away after a couple of years, because truthfully it is very boring. So for most people, National Day has just become another public holiday and another happy day for kids who don’t have to go school. It’s just that not many people, especially teenagers today, are patriotic. And I won’t say I’m patriotic either; I don’t deserve that adjective.

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