Issue 2014 12 - Biblical Graduate School of Theology

DEC 2014
ON BEHALF OF THE PRINCIPAL
Inside This
Issue 2014-12
1
On Behalf of the Principal
by Dr. Lai Pak Wah
2
No Longer Longing: Advent
Reflections
by Mr. John Chong
Ser Choon
5
How Odd of God
by Mr. Quek Tze-Ming
6
Book Review: The Lost
Letters of Pergamum
by Mr. Timothy Ang
Pei-Zheng
8
CBS-CTS Programme
9
AY 2014-15, Sem 2
Course Schedule
13
Changes to BGST Program
Requirements
14
Invitation: Christmas
Devotions & Lunch
Faculty & Lecturer’s
Engagements
15
ART - Thinking Theologically
About Our Vocation
17
BGST Family Day
18
Book Sale
Dr Lai Pak -­ah
BGST Lecturer in Church History and Historical Theology and
Director in Academic Planning.
Dear Friends,
November has just passed. By now, Christmas lightings and decorations of all
sorts have appeared in every nook and corner of Orchard Road and shopping malls all
over the island. Shopping, parties, food and holidays - these are some of things that
many associate with Christmas nowadays. As Christians, we would want to assert that
Christmas means much more than these. Yet, in busy Singapore, if we are not careful, we
can sometimes forget the significance of Christmas… until the Christmas Eve services.
Therein lies the beauty of the Advent season: a month consciously set aside by churches,
so that we may meditate on Christ’s coming. So that when the Day truly arrives, our
hearts will be enthralled, once again, by the marvel and wonder of Christ’s Incarnation.
This year, my family and I have chosen to lit our Advent candles again, just to remind
ourselves to slow down and meditate on Christ’s coming. We hope that, in your own way,
you too will prepare for the coming of Christ. To aid that process, we have two articles in
this issue: by Mr. John Chong Ser Choon and Mr. Quek Tze Ming, who will consider the
significance of Christmas from different perspectives.
Besides these Christmas messages, you may notice that we have introduced a
new segment in this issue of WTB: contributions from BGST students. This will be a
regular feature in our future issues, so that WTB may become another avenue where
BGST students can share the fruits of their studies with a larger audience.
Finally, on behalf of BGST Faculty and Staff,
we wish you a blessed Christmas!
Library: New Books
19
Calendar Highlights
Immanuel,
Dr. Lai Pak Wah
Mr. John Chong Ser Choon
NO LONGER LONGING:
ADVENT REFLECTIONS
Mr John Chong Ser Choon
Director of Trinity Life Community, (a spiritual formation resource ministry that he
started in July 2004) and BGST Adjunct lecturer. His vision is to serve the Christian
community through conducting spiritual retreats, teaching seminars on spiritual
formation and holistic Christian living.
"Soon it will be Christmas Day”
so goes one popular Christmas song.
Christmas is indeed around the corner. Another
word associated with the birth of Christ is
"Advent." It simply means "coming." The word
covers not just the birth of Christ, His first
advent, but also anticipates His second coming,
the second Advent. The Christian tradition
placed Advent as the first event in the Christian
Year1, commencing on the first Sunday of
December.
In the first coming, the people of Israel
had been waiting for at least four hundred
years. Simeon was one such person mentioned
in Luke's gospel (Luke 2:25-35). He was already
an old man, but what he finally beheld brought
great consolation and contentment. Today, we
celebrate Christmas as a past event: God has
come in the flesh. But we are not just looking
back in wonder every year, are we? There will
be a second advent of Christ. The parallel
question then, is whether we have the same
intense longing as shown by Simeon? Already,
it has been two thousands years long, maybe
too long for any longing to last.
How can the significance of the Advent
event, one fulfilled, the other still future provide
2
some perspectives to our busy lives in
Singapore and in the churches? I like to use two
phrases, set in contrast to help us in this
reflection. These phrases are "the balanced life"
and "a rhythm of grace." The second phrase is
more frequently invoked in conversations
related to Christian spirituality. The first has
been around for ages, and is both a Christian
battle cry and slogan. To state the two postures
in even sharper contrast: Do we live our
Christian life as a balancing act, juggling more
and more roles and tasks, or is there a more
basic, simpler rhythm, a time for this one thing,
and therefore not other things?
Most Christians will answer “No” to the
first question and then question the practicality
of the second. Do these answers reflect again
the reality of life filled with unending doings
versus the occasional eruption of deeper
longing in our being? What are these doings? 2
Here are some observations and critique.
•
We are busy. Society or church, workplace
or home, busyness is the norm. We all know
it, acknowledged it, agreed that the
busyness affects our spiritual well-being but
we keep on being busy, and do not make
efforts (do not know how?) to step out of
this drivenness to examine or critique it.
•
•
•
We are programme (purpose) driven.
Churches and para-churches have visions
and missions that translate into
programmes and events, all normal and
part of corporate life and witness. I
acknowledge the great need to witness for
Christ to a hurting world. The Lord also
does honour and bless such programmes
and events. But what is often left unsaid and
not dealt with are the down sides of a
programme-driven ministry: spiritual
dryness, tiredness, shallow spirituality, focus
on externals, treating people as office
bearers, human resources to meet key
o b j e c t i v e s o r t o r u n p ro g r a m m e s .
Committed Christians who are committed
must serve. Therefore, they are servants,
functionaries, do-ers. There is a lack of
attention paid to encouragement and
affirmation, to walk alongside with, to listen
to, to relate as persons in community,
(rather than as co-workers, what a bland
term!), fellow Christ-followers in the process
of being conformed to the image of Christ.
We are spiritually dry (or drying up). We
joke that we are “running on empty”,
“running like headless chicken”, “burning
out” but we keep running and are still
running. There is a sense of hunger, longing
for a spiritual reality or experience that is
beyond church attendance and service. But
somehow, we do not know how to articulate
it or where to start looking to meet such
hunger for a deeper Christian experience or
relationship with God. There is a growing
dissatisfaction with ministry and church life.
We spiritualize too much. What is especially
horrifying (repugnant?) is that instead of
acknowledging and becoming more
deny (suppress) it by spiritualization. “All
things work for good to those who love
God” must be the most spiritualized and
abused verse in the Bible. The terrible
implication is that we run the risk of no
longer speak truthfully, but shadow dance
with each other with a set of pseudospiritual language. The resultant loss of
authenticity can be tragic, more so that it
may not even noticed.
What are our longings? We long for rest,
and indeed a balanced life. Not a work or
ministry ethic that is just merely to work hard,
serve hard, and even to play hard. In such an
ethic, either way, life is hard to balance.
Advent is part of the Christian Year,
which in turn is based on the life of Christ. Thus,
every “new” year, we start afresh to remember
Christ’s birth and “follow” him from cradle to
cross, from the grave to the sky. This is however,
no boring re-run. The life of Christ, now the
Living One (Rev 1:18) revitalizes us, as month
after month, we are immersed in the spiritual
significance of Advent, Epiphany, Lent,
Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost.
This is a rhythm of grace. This rhythm
does not make our busyness disappear. Rather,
it regulates it, gradually infiltrating our
unending doings with a bigger vision than just
getting the tasks done, giving us a deeper
anchorage that is steady even when the balls
drop. More crucially, this rhythm of grace
follows the life of Christ, not the agendas of
human doings. This rhythm provides a different
drumbeat, one that is life giving, not life
draining.
attentive to the soul’s hunger, we ignore,
3
This is the rhythm modelled by God when after
six days of work he “rested on the seventh day
from all his work.” (Gen 2:2) This is the rhythm
that the Preacher referred to as there being a
time for one thing, and a time for another (Eccl
3:1-8). This is the rhythm that the desert father
Antony the Egyptian learnt when he saw a man
working,
then standing up to pray, then sitting
down again to work, and then standing again
to pray. 3A rhythm that can be likened to the
pendulum of a grandfather’s clock swinging
from left to right, and from right to left. A
rhythm of grace that must oscillate from labour
to rest, and rest to labour. (On the contrary,
there is perhaps another rhythm that is one of
dis-grace. That rhythm has a number: 247365.
and roles to balance. But nothing less than the
final advent of Christ, when the ultimate
longing will be fulfilled, and equally important,
where all evil and injustice will be rightly
judged, and all grief and sorrows will be
comforted because justice is served, and where
joy, not busyness abounds.
Let the reader understand?)
1
Some years ago, also during the
Christmas season, a Straits Times article in the
section on Thinking Aloud, set a poser: "Time
to ponder the merits of being less busy?” 4The
writer, Warren Fernandez, wrote that in the
Internet age, "we're so accessible, we're so
inaccessible. We can't find the off switch on our
device or ourselves ... We are everywhere except where we actually are." That article was
written in 2006. Are we less busy today? Or do
we have even less time to ponder the merits of
being less busy?
2
"All I want for Christmas is my two front
teeth" goes another song for the season.
Christians surely want more than that. And we
have more to long for. Not more balls to juggle
4
Are you busy, with loads to do still as
the year draws to a close? What do you long for
in this Advent season? Add that longing to your
Christmas list of things to do? Maybe even
elevate to the top of the list? Come, Lord Jesus.
———————
There are two wonderful books to read up if you are
interested to know more about the Christian Year: Bobby
Gross, Living the Christian Year – Time to Inhabit The Story
of God; James Houston, Letters of Faith Through the
Seasons: A Treasury of Great Christians' Correspondence
(Vol. 1 & 2)
The following section is adapted from a private paper
written by this writer and presented in 2008 to a spiritual
formation fellowship run by Trinity Life Community.
3
Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The
Alphabetical Collection.
4
Warren Fernandez, "Time to ponder the merit of being
less busy?" Straits Times, 23 Dec 2006.
Mr Quek Tze-Ming
Tze-Ming is a BGST lecturer and also a Ph.D candidate in New Testament Studies at the
University of Cambridge. His special area of studies is in the use of the Old Testament in
the New.
HOW ODD OF GOD
... that the great turning point of His rescue
who fathers good king Jehoshaphat, who fathers
mission should come with a whiff of scandal (Matt
wicked king Joram. Five women (Tamar, Rahab,
1.18-25). Mary is found pregnant while unmarried,
Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary herself) are included in
and she claims she is still a virgin. And then her
the genealogy, which is striking because the
fiancé Joseph, instead of divorcing her, marries
practice is so rare. And why mention them, of all
her instead. A boy is delivered soon after.
women? Wouldn't Sarah, or Rebekah, or Rachel,
Probably much too soon after. Hmmmm.
be more appropriate? More ... respectable? Isn't it
embarrassing that the first four women mentioned
Unsurprisingly, rumours abound. The ancients did
in the genealogy all had unusual marriages, sexual
not need modern medical knowledge to know
scandals, or suspicions of having had illegitimate
how children were conceived. In early Jewish
children (look these women up in the Bible!)?
writings called the Tosefta, there is an unfavorable
reference to a "Yeshu son of Pandera." The pagan
And yet God worked in these unexpected people,
philosopher Celsus repeats a claim that Mary was
through inconvenient (scandalous!) circumstances,
guilty of adultery, and that she bore a child to a
to bring about His plan of salvation. If we take the
Roman soldier named Panthera (Origen, Contra
genealogy seriously, then God seems to specialise
Celsum 1. 69). Both these references may date
in doing the unexpected. Perhaps what seems
back to the 2nd century. These slanderous
odd to us, is not odd to God after all.
accusations probably go back all the way to Jesus'
lifetime. There appears to be an implied insult
When God intervenes, it is often unexpected and
when Jesus' opponents said to him, "We are not
inconvenient. It certainly was so for Joseph and
born of sexual immorality" (John 8.41, ESV).
Mary that first Christmas. But they did not shrink
back, and went on to live out God's will, at great
How odd then, that God should work his greatest
personal cost. Their obedience led to the greatest
miracle, send his greatest gift, in a situation that
miracle, the greatest gift, the birth of Jesus, who
could and did give rise to scandal.
saves his people from their sins.
Or is it?
Perhaps you find yourself in an unexpected or
inconvenient situation this Advent season. You'd
Just before Matt 1.18-25, we are given an account
rather not be in such a situation - at work, or at
of Jesus' lineage. We might have expected more
home, or in school, with your friends or relatives.
of the "right" sort of respectable people to feature
But maybe God is intervening in your life, so that
in the bloodline of the great Jewish Messiah, but
His rescue mission for the world may go out to this
what we get is a stunning collection of saints, and
friend at work, or that relative, or maybe even that
sinners, and everything in-between. We find good
someone who is making things difficult for you.
kings, bad kings, heroes, adulterers, Jews and
How can you be obedient, perhaps even at
Gentiles. There is no pattern of righteousness or
personal cost, and so be an instrument through
respectability. Wicked king Rehoboam fathers
which Jesus can save his people from their sins?
wicked king Abijah, who fathers good king Asa,
5
BOOK REVIEW THE LOST LETTERS OF PERGAMUM:
A STORY FROM THE NEW
TESTAMENT WORLD BRUCE W. LONGENECKER
Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002
ISBN: 978-0801026072
Paperback, available in our Book Corner for S$ 26
Bruce Longenecker’s The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a
compelling demonstration of what a fertile and wellcultivated imagination can do to advance our
understanding of the New Testament world. Packaged as a
compilation of fictional letters revolving around the faith
journey of Roman nobleman Antipas (cf. Revelation 2:13),
the book aims both to entertain and educate its readers
through a story set in the historical context of the early
Christian writings. The letters are presented to us through
the filter of a fictional editor, a plot device that allows
Longenecker to insert relevant historical details through
footnotes, thereby enhancing the didactic value of the
book.
Antipas tread cautiously at first for fear of compromising
his honour. The theme of reputation and honour, attached
closely to one’s societal standing, resurfaces continually in
the subsequent letters. As the letters suggest, society in
New Testament times was highly stratified. Strict social
codes of honour and shame, and patronage and
benefaction, policed the well-marked boundaries between
the patricians and the plebeians. However, Antipas came
to realise increasingly that the actions and teachings of
Jesus—this lowly peasant artisan from humble Nazareth—
radically inverted the prevailing social order. Antipas’
periodic digests of Luke’s gospel bear witness to his initial
shock towards Jesus’ readiness to depart from existing
social norms, then his growing understanding of Jesus’
vision of the community of grace.
The book begins with Antipas keen to advance his social
standing in Pergamum, his newfound place of residence.
The Antipas we encounter here is a model Roman citizen
(named after no less than the Tetrarch Herod Antipas),
devout pagan, firm believer in Pax Romana and civic
benefactor of multiple cities. Through fellow nobleman
Calpurnius, son of Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4), Antipas soon
comes into the acquaintance of Luke and gains access to
his gospel. This paves the way for an extended exchange of
letters between Antipas and Luke, discussing the content
of Luke’s historical monograph and especially its chief
protagonist—Jesus of Nazareth, founder of the Christian
sect. Antipas soon found himself joining local Christian
gatherings in Kalandion's and Antonius’ households, and
eventually developed a deep affinity for the latter group—a
community that exemplified the spirit of Jesus' radical
teachings. Antipas himself was undergoing a profound
personal transformation marked by a growing acceptance
of—and even love for—Jesus, his mission, and his
followers. He started respecting and caring for a former
employee, a lowly tenant farmer whom he met at
Antonius’ house. He began to shed the pompous titles he
once attached to himself in his letters. Finally he believed
in Christ and, in dramatic fashion, offered himself as a
martyr before the emperor to save a fellow Christian.
I. Summary of the Book
6
I. Critique
These letters bring to life the actual world of the New
Testament in a way that an academic treatise could
probably never do; much like how a good period drama
might educate a given audience better than a
documentary. We are offered a rigorous yet accessible
commentary on the historical context to the gospels,
particularly the pervasive undercurrents of social honour
codes and bonds of patronage and benefaction, as well as
extreme segregation between social classes, that lay
beneath the gospel narratives. While many of these
historical details are alluded to in the letters, Longenecker
also finds ways to give certain key issues explicit and
lengthier treatment, through Antipas’ “historical
reconstructions” on issues of interest like the Samaritans,
or more in-depth responses from Luke on topics such as
the Pharisees, Pontius Pilate or the great fire in Rome. This
background information serves as a powerful antidote
against anachronistic projections of modern perspectives
into the first century world.
Most valuable are Antipas’ periodic digests of Luke’s
gospel, through which he interacts closely with the
scriptural text and wrestles with the implications of Jesus’
teachings in his context, as a first century Roman
aristocrat. We quickly learn that the “empire of the Jewish
God” that Jesus proclaimed was diametrically opposed to
the existing social order. His actions of eating with tax
collectors and sinners broke radically with social codes of
honour and shame. His chastisement of the Jewish
leaders stemmed from their self-serving alignment with
these codes. Yet the manner of his death (e.g. Pilate’s
treatment of him) suggests that he was not a social
revolutionary. These points overturn one-dimensional
modern stereotypes of “gentle Jesus meek and mild” and
tease out the complexity of Jesus’ identity and ministry,
while also offering useful insights on how Christians
should live counter-culturally today.
It is in the area of storytelling that Longenecker’s work is
found wanting. The book is by no means a page-turner,
and it probably would not be fair to expect it be one.
Nonetheless, certain didactic portions of the letters are
painfully contrived. This is especially the case when Luke
goes into encyclopedic detail on historical minutiae in
response to factual questions posed by Antipas. For
example, it is difficult to imagine how Luke would have
found it necessary to delve into so much detail in his
“brief portrait” of the Pharisees; Longenecker himself
must have realised this, since he makes Luke apologise
for his “verbosity” at the end of his lengthy spiel. Other
portions of the letters just seem unnatural in to the flow of
normal correspondence. Antipas’ and Calpurnius’
discussion on the pros and cons of gladiatorial games,
informative as it is, seems out of place in an introductory
exchange of letters. If Longenecker’s intent was to
establish Antipas’ credentials as a staunch promoter of
Rome, or to induct uninformed readers into the Roman
entertainment scene, then he achieved his aims at the
expense of realistic storytelling. To be sure, these quibbles
pertain only to isolated portions of the letters. On the
whole, Longenecker does a competent job of constructing
a believable, historically-accurate narrative that traces
Antipas’ personal transformation and eventual conversion
to Christianity. So despite the storytelling flaws,
Longenecker is mostly justified in his claim (in the
Preface) that something like that truly “could have
happened”.
Mr Timothy Ang Pei-.heng
Summa Cum Laude, Grad DipCS, 2013
7
!eological Education wi" a Difference!
CBS Certificate of Biblical Studies
OT101, Old Testament Foundations 1
NT101/102, New Testament Foundations 1/2
HE101, Biblical Interpretation & Hermeneutics
ANY 3 CREDITS of Electives in Biblical Studies
TOTAL: 12 CREDITS (3 credits each)
CTS Certificate of Theological Studies
TS101, The Christian Faith
CH101/102, History of Christianity 1/2
CS101/MM101, Spirituality for Christian
Formation or Vocation, Work and Ministry
ANY 3 CREDITS of Electives in Theological,
Christian Spirituality, Marketplace or Historical
Studies
TOTAL: 12 CREDITS (3 credits each)
✔ Fees: SGD $150 per credit; 12 credits per Certificate
✔ Enjoy -10% discount when you pay the fees in full for all 12 credits of either CBS or CTS
✔ Get a BGST Limited Edition 8GB USB (while stocks last)
✔ FREE Membership at BGST Library and enjoy special discounts from the Book Corner
✔ FREE Full-Text Online Journal Access 24/7
✔ FREE Upgrade to Diploma Programme
www.jotform.me/BGSTReg/Registration_Form
UPCOMING COURSES SEM 2
January
2015
MCS & MDiv Core
MDiv Core
MDiv Core
CBS, Grad DipCS, MCS & MDiv Core
CTS, Grad DipCS, MCS & MDiv Core
Biblical Studies Elective
WWW.JOTFORM.ME/BGSTREG/REGISTRATION_FORM
9
UPCOMING COURSES SEM 2
January
2015
CBS, Grad DipCS, MCS & MDiv Core
Interdisciplinary Studies Elective
Grad DipCS, MCS, MDiv Core
CTS, Grad DipCS, MCS, MDiv Core
CTS, Grad Dipcs, MCS, MDiv Core
MCS, MDiv Core
WWW.JOTFORM.ME/BGSTREG/REGISTRATION_FORM
10
UPCOMING COURSES SEM 2
Jan-Feb
2015
MDiv Core
Marketplace Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE
MDiv Core
Interdisciplinary Studies Elective
CTS, Grad DipCS, MCS, MDiv Core
CBS, Grad DipCS, MCS, MDiv Core
INTENSIVE COURSE
WWW.JOTFORM.ME/BGSTREG/REGISTRATION_FORM
11
UPCOMING COURSES SEM 2
Mar-Jun
2015
Biblical Studies Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE/
PUBLIC LECTURE
Biblical Studies Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE/
SEMINAR
MDiv Core
INTENSIVE COURSE
Interdisciplinary Studies Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE/
PUBLIC LECTURE
Spiritual Theology Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE/
PUBLIC LECTURE
Spiritual Theology Elective
INTENSIVE COURSE/
PUBLIC LECTURE
WWW.JOTFORM.ME/BGSTREG/REGISTRATION_FORM
12
CHANGES TO BGST PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
CHANGES TO CORE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS FOR CTS, GRAD DIPCS AND MCS PROGRAMS
The following changes will take effect from 1st JANUARY 2015
Required Courses for Certificate in Theological Studies & Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies
These changes are relevant only for students under the AY2012-AY2014 schemes and thereafter
Present Requirements
History of Christianity I (CH101)
Spirituality for Christian Formation (CS101)
New Requirements
CH101 or History of Christianity II (CH102)
CS101 or Vocation, Work and Ministry (MM101)
Required Courses for Master in Christian Studies
Applicable for all MCS Students
Present Requirements
Theological Foundations I (TS211)
New Requirements
TS211 or Theological Foundations II (TS212)
Required Electives for Master in Christian Studies & Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies
Present Requirements
The Educational Ministry of the Church (CE101)
New Requirements
Any elective. CE101 is no longer required. Take any
elective in lieu of it.
Private Study Courses
Adjustment of Deadline for Private Studies Courses
Kindly note that with effect from 1 Jan 2015, students must submit their assignments 6
months after the first day of the month following registration for the course. After this, the
status of the incomplete course will be converted from Credit to Audit.
13
Y! are invited
Christmas Devotions & Lunch
17 Dec 2014 (Wed) 12:00 - 2:00 pm
at BGST
RSVP before Dec 12 to [email protected]
LECTURER’S ENGAGEMENTS
November
1 Nov 2014 “Doing Church According to the Church Fathers”
Mt Carmel BP Church Young Adults Ministry
2 & 4 Nov 2014 Perspectives Course (Overview of Church History)
Barker Road Methodist Church and Bartley Christian Church
Dr. Lai Pak Wah
16 Nov 2014 Amazing Grace Presbyterian Church
29 Nov 2014 “Christianity and the Development of Modern Science: A
Dialogue”
Mt Carmel BP Church (Mandarin Lecture)
30 Nov 2014 Hermon BP Church
16 Nov 2014 “Divided Opinions” (John 7:10-36)
Zion Bishan BP Church
23 Nov 2014 “Rivers of Living Water” (John 7:37-52)
Zion Bishan BP Church
Mr. Quek Tze-Ming
14
ART ALUMNI RESOURCE TEAM
T H I N K I N G
THEOLOGICALLY
ABOUT OUR
VOCATION
Reported by Alumni Resource Team
(ART) members: Lau Hoong Chuin,
Alvina Ng, Francis Yong
On the Saturday afternoon of 15 Nov 2014, some 25
persons (comprising of alumni and faculty) gathered at
BGST for a 2nd alumni networking fellowship. We started
with a talk by our council member, Timothy Liu on how
we could reflect on our vocation theologically. As
someone involved in the marketplace ministry, locally
and regionally, Timothy provided not just a big picture
view on vocation, but also challenged us on how a
theological view was to be lived out in day-to-day
matters. What does it mean to think theologically? Can jobs like
accounting and architecture really have any connection
with our spirituality and relationship with God? In the
small group discussions that followed, the responses are
a resounding yes. The groups were given three questions to discuss. One
group discussion found that seeking to live a righteous
life before God and man, and desiring to make decisions
ethically are a natural outflow of what it means to be a
Christ-abiding follower. It is true that some careers like humanitarian work can
more directly express God's call to stand up for the
oppressed and marginalized, to take care of the poor. But
other vocations like being a homemaker requires no less
effort in translating God's teachings into real life as one
seeks to model for the children. In like manner, a lecturer
reflected about the need to form a cogent biblical
worldview, to see the world through God’s lenses, and
thus show the Christian distinction of what it means to be
an upright person. In response, a social worker shared
that while she faced much pain and suffering in her
profession, the biblical view of a resurrected body with no
pain and a new existence with no tears offered much
hope. A faculty member also revealed how, in his previous
vocation, he used to struggle over whether he should
seek to build houses for the rich and thus pander to their
whims, or to consciously make a career choice to build
public hospitals for the poor. 15
Another thought that arose was that the level of
influence one has over others determines the amount of
impact one can have. For instance, a Christian
businessman was able to set the tone in a new area in a
foreign land by abiding by the laws and treating his
employees in a humane way. On the other hand, an
employee is constrained by the system he is in and has
limited ability to influence the policies made and
implemented. As such, it is apparent that thinking theologically has a
few facets. Firstly, being a practicing Christian as an
employee and as employer allows a different level of
influence and impact. Secondly, there are many things
in the Bible that we know of and can obey without a
theological education. Thirdly, when we do get such an
education, it should shape the premises and
presuppositions that often arise in our professions. For
instance, someone involved in social media would need
to think through the values that are allowed to be
portrayed. Also, the theories that guide counselling may
run counter to what the scriptures say about human
nature. Hence, there is a great need to discern between
what is not of God and what can be accepted and
applied. Others present also gave feedback to ART that BGST
public seminars like the recent one by Dr Robert Banks
are useful to create a stronger BGST presence amongst
the alumni as well as believers in the Christian
community. It was also suggested that BGST should
contact and meet with church leaders to identify the
areas of spiritual training and disciplines for their
members. BGST could act as a consultant in this respect.
More of such exchanges would help BGST to understand
and address the concerns of different vocations/
denominations.
This second ART gathering was larger than the first. The
afternoon was a time of catching up with old friends and
16
meeting new ones, while having our minds stretched by
various thoughts and guided contemplation (not to
mention our stomach satisfied by the wide variety of
tasty muffins). Tim’s talk provided a platform for some
spirited dialogue to think deeper about our work. For it
is too easy to be caught up in the grind of life, and
without some afore thought, follow the crowd and
forget to be the salt and light we are called to be distinctive and effective witness for Christ.
If you missed out this time, fret not for ART plans to host
more of such meetings in 2015. One idea being
followed up is to set up focus or interest groups so that
similar vocation groups could meet and support one
another in their life and witness in the work place. We
hope to see you at our ART sessions in 2015.
BGST Staff Family Day
Ms Gina Lim
Gina is the wife of Mr. Adam Peh (BGST Admin Assistant Manager),
homemaker and mother of the adorable 5-yr old Gabrielle.
A new day beckoned, the majestic ball of fire made its dramatic entrance, signalling
the start of a brand new day. My family and I drove to the Changi Jetty to meet the
rest of my colleagues and their family members.
26 Nov 2014 was BGST family day. All of us gathered at Changi Jetty waiting for
the bumboats to take us to Pulau Ubin island. After a quick 10 mins boat ride, we
arrived in the Island.
We took a van to Chek Jawa while others rode on bicycles. Chek Jawa is a wetland
with different habitats. It is rich in beaches, mangroves, seagrass and rainforest. We
were thrilled to see wild boars roaming around under the huge canopy of trees. Next
we took a stroll along the coastal boardwalk. We chatted while others took photos of
the picturesque scenery.
Our next stop was the vegetable and spices farm. There were ladies’ fingers, curry
leaves and even lemongrass plants. My 5-yr old was fascinated to find grasshoppers
among the plants.
We then settled in at Celestial Beach Resort where we had local cuisine lunch. We
played games after lunch. Everyone was feeling buoyant after the “blanket” game. Our
exuberance bloomed throughout the resort as everyone burst into cheerful chatter and
laughter.
The fish spa was the final activity before we left the island. We were fascinated and some
were tickled by the fish nibbling at our toes and feet.
All in all, it was indeed a relaxing and fun-filled day. We bonded by each others fellowship.
I am glad to know the names of my husband’s colleagues family members. Above all, I
thank the Lord for His protection and the nice weather.
17
LIBRARY NEW BOOKS!
ADVENT
SOCIAL NETWORK
SOTERIOLOGY
Christmas: The Rescue
Mission
Stephen Chan
Thy Kingdom Connected :
What the Church can learn
from Facebook, the Internet,
and other Networks
Dwight J. Friesen
The One Christ : St.
Augustine's Theology of
Deification
David Vincent Meconi, SJ
MORE NEW BOOKS CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://BGST.VLIBONLINE.COM/IMAGES/201411BULL1.HTML
18
Calendar
2014-2015
HIGHLIGHTS
2014
CHRISTMAS CHAPEL & LUNCH
When:
17 Dec 2014
Time:
12:00 pm– 2:00 pm
Where: BGST
2015
24TH CONVOCATION & THANKSGIVING SERVICE
When:
23 May 2015
Where: Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church
[SEMINAR] SERMON ON THE MOUNT
by BISHOP EMERITUS DR. ROBERT SOLOMON
When:
7 & 28 Mar 2015
Time:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church
[PUBLIC LECTURE] BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS
by DR. DAVE WILLIAMS
When:
13 Mar 2015
Time:
7:45 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church
[PUBLIC LECTURE] COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL IN A SCIENTIFIC AGE
by PROF. DAVID WILKINSON
When:
9 Apr 2015
Time:
7:45 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Mt. Carmel Bible-Presbyterian Church
[PUBLIC LECTURE] C.S LEWIS & THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
by PROF. BRUCE HINDMARSH
When:
15 Jun 2015
Time:
7:45 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church
[PUBLIC LECTURE] FIVE TRADITIONS & PRACTICES OF PRAYER
by PROF. BRUCE HINDMARSH
When:
22 Jun 2015
Time:
7:45 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: St. John’s - St Margaret’s Church
19
Golden Wheel Industrial Building
50 Kallang Pudding Road #07-01 Singapore 349326
Tel number: 65-6227-6815
Fax number: 65-6743-6847
Website: www.bgst.edu.sg Email: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/BGST1989