Weekend of Contentment and Philippians 4:10-23

A hot lazy start to the weekend.

Cataloguing garden growth*:


Brinjal plant: alive and fruiting.


Sunflowers: alive and flowering.

Some Chinese New Year plant: dead and unidentifiable.


Too sweltering for food -> blueberry-black tea-yoghurt popsicles based loosely on a People's Pops' recipe:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 big bag of T2 orange pekoe with an attitude
2 punnets blueberries
2 limes from far too fruitful backyard lime bush
200g yoghurt

1. Make simple syrup with water and sugar.
2. Soak tea bag in simple syrup.
3. Blend blueberries.
4. Pour tea syrup into blueberry muck.
5. Stir in lime juice and yoghurt.
6. Divide into popsicle moulds and freeze.

Unfortunately, a popsicle-fast meant that tummy growls would later accompany Darren Ng's soundscape at Toy Factory/Goh Boon Teck's The Crab Flower Club restaging, an interesting presentation of the insecurities that beset older women and perhaps the ultimately false optimistic certainty of youth.

The heat broke overnight and a rainy afternoon ensconced at Kith Café was perfect for a read-through of Mark Ashton and Phil Moon's Christian Youth Work, fuelled by good coffee and accompanied by Concave Scream's Soundtrack for a book. A fantastically good reminder that insecurities and discontentment haunt all ages.

From Philippians 4:10-23 we get a sense that gospel ministry is like farming or gardening. Unlike the assembly-line process of, say, giving new life to old Enid Blyton books, growing disciples of Christ is a long-term commitment. And still, ministry is far more than farming or gardening because of the great affection ministers of the gospel ought to have for the people whom they serve. Because Paul has experienced the love of God, he loves the Philippians (Philippians 2:12, 4:1) with that same love. He thinks and prays for them every day (Philippians 1:3-4), rejoices at their salvation (Philippians 2:17), longs for them (as does Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25)), and is anxious to hear news of them (Philippians 2:19).

Pop culture through the ages (didn't Dante make his name on this?) will have us know love makes one vulnerable to all manner of hurts brought on mostly by slights, real or imagined, on the part of the beloved. Plethora of insecurities ensues, tears recriminations emotional and psychological trauma to follow.

But we find that Paul, far from being a nail-biting bundle of nerves in that Roman prison/under house arrest, is serenely secure and content. Accompanying the clanging of his chains is not the sound of settling (for whatever can be obtained at present) to the detriment of youthful ideology and the hopes and dreams of yesteryear or the zen silence of non-attachment; it is the solid base note of his dependence on Christ that makes him secure and content.

Paul has learned to be content in all situations (Philippians 4:11), a great picture of a heavenly citizen whose contentment flows from having a heavenly home secured by nothing less than the blood of Jesus Christ.

Paul is a man just like ourselves, a sinner saved only by the grace of God, with a nature distorted by sin and subject to all the pressures of this world: persecution, loneliness, rejection, opposition, weakness, temptation etc. Yet as he faces the trials of gospel partnership, abandonment by those to whom he has preached the gospel, imprisonment and most probably death, he claims he can do all things through Him who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

All things? There would be no dramatic prison break, nor magnificent display of power with fireworks to the glory of God at the tapering end of Paul's life. Elsewhere, he even complains of a thorn in his flesh that caused him great suffering that he could not be relieved of. What Paul must mean here is that just as all Christians start their new lives, so he can continue in complete trust in God in every circumstance, whether he has been brought low or abounds, enjoys plenty or faces hunger, is in abundance or in need (Philippians 4:12). He is content because he can trust Jesus to provide him with everything he needs to do the most important job - the task of ministry. In fact, Paul will only be able to do any work at all in Him or through Him who strengthens him.

(A week ago, we were discussing whether being trained in the medical profession might have better equipped us for mission work especially in creative access countries. Perhaps the answer is that God has equipped all of us, regardless of the perceived uselessness of our training or of our very selves, for every good work, in every circumstance. He used the eccentric, tone-deaf, painfully shy, incompetent gospel speaker Eric Nash (aka Bash) to convert a few who would later go on to preach the good news to many many others. Should we be surprised? The last anyone checked, the God we're speaking of created man's mouths, minds, entire beings, as well as the rest of the known (and unknown) world. He will give gifts of talent and circumstance as he chooses but they (our successes and failures, our charismatic or prickly personalities, our jollity or depression, our joys and sorrows) are all given that by them, we will bring glory to God. As John Piper might say, Don't Waste Your Cancer.)

Because of this rock solid security, Paul is, in that way, independent of the rest of the church. He does not bop up and down with the tide. He can and will go on preaching the gospel whether or not he, the ox, is fed.

But he praises and encourages the giving of the Philippians because it increases to their credit (Philippians 4:17) not to Paul's; God does not deal in pyramid schemes. In the present, the Philippians are expressing responsibility for gospel ministry financially and demonstrating with their wallets where their minds and hearts lie: in God, in God's work and in the coming of Christ. Though the money given is given to another human, Paul describes it in first rate OT sacrifice terms as a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God (Philippians 4:18).

Strong arm, guilt-inducing tithing tactics are useless for building up the church. The reluctance with which we part with the earthly goods given to us by God should be warning enough of our lack of eternal perspective and deadly short-sightedness.

And as Paul affirms his trust in God to provide for his needs, so he too encourages the Philippian donors to keep trusting in God to meet their needs (Philippians 4:19). The Philippians were far from rich. 2 Corinthians 8 suggests that rather than the amply-supplied dropping their after-tax excess into the donation box, these people were like widows giving their last coppers; they gave out of their poverty. But the promise is that God will supply their needs out of his riches. Don't cling on to those last few possession, keep giving for the gospel because that is all you care for, and God will provide for your needs. This requires trust because they will only keep giving generously if they trust him.

Looking back at all the humans forming the links of the chain to our conversion, we can thank God for the people who nervously answered our scathing questions, who kept up the friendships inspite of not-too-subtle jibes at their lack of intellectual rigour in believing so wholeheartedly in a God, who gave so that we could hear the gospel at that Christmas party or at the talk we went to because we were bored and heard that the food was good.

Because the Christian life is no walk in the park, and because God alone supplies all our needs, let us keep trusting and depending on him in prayer that in our physical need, our good health and bad, our financial abundance or pressure, our fears, our overflowing sin, our lack of courage in proclaiming him, he will enable us to live for heaven, only for his glory, the only reality.

Kith Café
7 Rodyk Street #01-33
Watermark @ Robertson Quay
Tel: 63419407

*no, this has nothing to do with the current trend, after CSA boxes, to urban agriculture, city yard farming and yuppie apiaries.

National Day (2009), The Day (Sometime In The Future), Philippians 4:2-9

Buah keluak blechan and keropok-induced illness did little to dampen the enjoyment of Singapore's best National Day Parade in recent memory, thanks to the vision of BG Tan Chuan-Jin, creative direction of Ivan Heng, the oversight of Col Desmond Tan, the hard work of 7,000 other people, the birthday wishes from Red Dotters everywhere and the 8:22pm pledge mobs. Despite the usual Singaporean sneers (as Malaysians say, you're not Singaporean unless you complain about everything) at the "Come Together: Reaching Up, Reaching Out" theme, the parade demonstrated good reasons for the propaganda about national unity. Only guts gripped with some fear and uncertainty wrought by the simulated terrorist attacks (Chapter 2: Defending Our Homeland) would understand the need for defence spending, national service and a well-trained total defence force; and only the reminder of bad news upon bad news - financial crises, hijackings, plane crashes, pandemics, fiascos would bring a grudging appreciation of a strong government and those National Day Rally speeches (Chapter 6: We Will Survive). And for once, the Malay, Chinese, Indian and "Others" dance segments were meshed into a whole to represent the unity of races.

In sermons, we too hear the call to the unity of God's people. What is the point of this unity? Is it, just like the theory of national solidarity, that a bundle of sticks isn't easily broken?

It seems that in Philippians 4:2-9, Paul is less concerned about the damage to the drifting household of Christ per se (which is important and which he addresses in other letters) than the very minds of the disputing ladies, Euodia and Syntyche.

We can tell that their dispute isn't over a gospel issue essential to salvation (cf. Paul's admonition of false doctrine in Philippians 3:1). So apart from such issues, Paul isn't concerned with the merits of the case. Neither does he tell the women to list all the lovely things they can spot in each other and dwell on them. He is, instead, concerned about focusing them on the core of their beings - their minds.

We know that these ladies are professing Christians, who have laboured side by side with Paul in the gospel and their names, like the other fellow workers, are probably in the book of life (Philippians 4:2-3). But no Christian however true can have attained perfection in the here-and-now (cf. Philippians 3:12). So Paul pleads with them to "agree in the Lord" (Philippians 4:2), which in the Greek apparently reads to "have the same mind" (Philippians 2:2)..."in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).

Whereas the minds of the evildoers, the worshippers of the flesh rather than God, are filled with earthly things (Philippians 3:2-4) and therefore their lives are obsessed with earthly gain, the worshippers of the one true God are to be filled with heavenly things and heavenly gain, for these are the only things that will endure. So "whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8) is to fill their minds and occupy their entire lives. In other words, the things of Christ, his work and ultimately things that will bring glory to God.

With their eyes fixed firmly on the glory of God and not their own dubious pirated glory, they would have the same mind, the mind of Christ that would been seen in an attitude of submission to God and service to others. They would do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, considering the other more significant than themselves (Philippians 2:1-8). There would be none of that nastiness that comes with caring and valuing the present too much and clinging on to earthly things too strongly.

But Satan is cunning and our hearts are deceitful above all things. It is too easy for the goal to slide from praising God to self-glorification and self-pride, from divine promotion to self-promotion: perhaps the rash of grateful people telling us how our talk or bible study really brought God's word home to them, or being mentioned in testimonies of the newly-baptised as the person who most impacted them for Christ, or just being generally known as the go-to godly person in church whose wise counsel can be trusted etc.

Perhaps it becomes most obvious to us where our hearts and minds lie when our emotions change wildly, in line with the changing whims and fancies of fellow humans, and with the vagaries of life.

When our minds are on the things of the flesh, we will not, unlike Paul though he was in prison and facing certain death, be able to remain in a constant state of rejoicing. We will not be able to rejoice that the gospel is being preached (Philippians 1:18) because, honestly, that isn't our real concern; we cannot rejoice all the time because we think it is by our efforts alone that God's work is done and measure the success of our ministry with human indicators rather than depend on God to do his work through us even as we work hard knowing that it will all be worthwhile in the end (Philippians 1:18-19, 2:17) because Jesus has been vindicated and will come again to rule the world visibly.

But we don't have to live this way. For we like Paul are already citizens of heaven. We too can absolutely certain of our future and look forward to it eagerly. And because our stability is based on eternal things, we can rejoice and respond to all situations in gentleness, graciousness, reasonableness (Philippians 4:5). We will not be temperamental. Many things will happen to us as we live out our heavenly citizenship on earth, but because our minds are filled daily with the knowledge that God works in us and will finish the good work he started, we can not be anxious but can be fully dependent on God by prayer. And the peace that is already ours (the objective peace between God and us giving birth to the subjective feeling of peace) will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). Total defence all rolled into One.

What is the first thing we think of when we wake up and the last thing we smile at /cry about as we drop off to sleep? What /who do we choose to occupy our idle thoughts as we wait for transportation or sit in a jam or nod as though we were giving the interminable work meeting our full attention? What is the first thing we decide to think of when a piece of good news surprises us or the first person we turn to when bad news hits? Mindful preparedness and prayer are an integral part of total defence.

Of Varicose Veins, Wandering Jews, Investment Portfolios and Steak Sandwiches (Philippians 3:1-11)

At a reunion of old mates, it was obvious that the only thing we had in common was merely a shared history. After those years together, decision after decision at crossroads led us well along divergent paths that split and branched. Again. And again, like the advancing spread of tiny varicose veins on a yellowed obese thigh. Until we seemed strangers. And perhaps we were.

The involuntary backward glance at past life decisions. What if we had the chance to apply the benefit of hindsight of our years? What if we were the Wandering Jew of lore who returns books to the British Library that are 113 years overdue, (sorry about that mate)? Or had a thousand lives to live, a nine hundred and ninety-nine opportunities to start afresh yet always retaining memories and aggregated maturity of the previous ones?


Would we keep choosing to follow Christ as we did in this life? And more importantly, would God keep choosing us just as he has called us his own in this life?

This is where the doctrine of God's sovereignty in election of the saints and the concrete certainty of his predestination knocks on the doors of its professed fans, only to find that many of them really think that their salvation is a great bit of luck: lucky that someone happened to leave Mark's Gospel in the train, lucky that they happened to be born in a Christian family, lucky that the right sort of advice came along when they were going through a tough patch. But maybe we won't be so lucky next time.


And we who claim to love God more than anything else in the world, if we had a thousand lives to live, do we think we would tire of spending every single one of them with Him? Or all eternity for that matter?

But the comfort of Philippians is two-fold: if we are doubtful of our own stamina for the long haul, the comfort is this - that is our salvation ultimately God's work. He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Even as we are instructed and warned to keep obeying and to keep standing firm (see Steak Sandwich below), it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), so we obey and stand firm.

So the judaisers (the "dogs" and "evildoers") were painfully mistaken to think that they were able to attain a right relationship with God with anything less anything less than the divine work of God himself. Sadly, the things of the flawed flesh: seemingly obedience to the letter of old testament laws, impeccable religious pedigree, demonstration of extreme zealousness (sorry suicide bombers) were insufficient for salvation (Philippians 3:2-4a).

If the hard work of mere humans was enough, Paul would have been more on the bill than Gates (Philippians 3:4b-6). But he realised that his bluechip portfolio in which he had placed all his money, funds for food and shelter and medical bills for retirement, was really mere penny stock (Philippians 3:7). Actually, compared to the rocksolid, infinitely high-return investment that is Jesus, Paul might as well have given his personal guarantee to pay out on all mortgage-backed security defaults in the U.S. from 2007-2008 (Philippians 3:8).

But Paul isn't just warning people away from junk stock, he is also aggressively marketing bullion - the wonder of the returns of investing in Jesus: a relationship with him, righteousness that can only come from faith, resurrection to (Philipians 3:8-11).


So the comfort to the fear that eternity will be a bit trying for those with short attention spans (relative with eternity, what wouldn't be short?) is the immense attractiveness of spending forever with a person who is innately lovely and whom we were made to adore, and with whom, in this long engagement, we would be most pleased to partner - in suffering and in death (Philippians 3:11).

These things, this obsession with Christ and his work, will keep us safe till the day of Christ, (and beyond) whether we live one lives or many. (Wisely, God has ordained that we will live only one life then face judgement, which is an ultra enough marathon!)

(Arguably, boringness is subjective since certain people are able to eat the same thing for dinner every week:


Monday dinners at Curry Wok - kong bak, curry chicken and chup chye


Wednesday dinners at Novena - solid ayam bakar and tempeh


but get depressivelyandsuicidally bored when made to wait at The Rabbit Hole for Metro Area to start.)

Steak Sandwich
Dry-aged hida steak sandwich with crumbled blue cheese and onion caramelised with balsamic vinegar:
1:27, 4:1 - standing firm
1:27 (alternate translation), 3:20 - heavenly citizenship
1:27, 2:1-5, 3:19 - mind focus
1:28, 3:19 - destruction of opponents/enemies/wrong-minded
2:12-30, 3:12-17 - instructions for tough workout, examples of gym bunnies Timothy and Epaphroditus
3:1-11 - righteousness through faith in Christ not through flesh


Oriole Cafe & Bar
96 Somerset Road, #01-01
Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
Singapore
Will return for the chilli chocolate mocha and dense chocolate fudge.

Curry Wok
5 Coronation Road #01-04
Coronation Arcade
Singapore

Spice Kitchen Indonesian stall
Kopitiam
Velocity @ Novena Square

The Rabbit Hole, The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road
Singapore

Philippians 1:27- 2:30

*

For we have an unchanging God.

For, hundreds of years before Paul wrote to the Philippians, Moses had already said to the Israelites:

this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

Neither would obedience have been too difficult nor alien for the Philippians. Plus they had (as we now also have) the example of Timothy's obedience (Philippians 2:19-23), Epaphroditus' (Philippians 2:25-30), and of Paul himself (Philippians 2:17, Philippians 1:12-26).


*Philippians 2:12-16 might seem an expansion of Philippians 1:27 - 2:4, and but given the gospel-centric-ity of Jesus (Philippians 2:6-8), God (Philippians 2:9-10), Paul (Philippians 1:19-26) and the context of the Letter to the Philippians, the emphasis seems here to be how this is lived out in the area of gospel partnership. (Not that one should Pharasaically limit its application.)

Barbarians in a Pod (Philippians 1:27-2:11)

In the course of corporate life, there comes a time when you find yourself sitting in someone else's board meeting that had been convened at short notice on a hazy Sunday afternoon, and telling their directors that, actually, their company is the part of the Great Singapore Sale that you're most interested in.

The resultant merger from the take-over, with the pruned and trimmed workforce amalgamated into existing offices and carrying the same logo on their business cards and answering to the same boss but reminiscing in private about the good old days in their ex-company, is hardly the sort of unified partnership Paul espouses in Philippians 1:27-2:4.

Neither is the "encouragement in Christ and the comfort from love" (Philippians 2:1) the warm but still superficial support shown by old friends turning up at your latest play.

Nor does "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side" (Philippians 1:27) and "being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind" (Philippians 2:2) have anything to do with management tactics and company retreats - corporate bonding christianised and biblicised for churches. And so holding hands in a darkness lit only by white candles and swaying and singing wistful songs about world unity is, too, completely inappropriate for this purpose.

The Philippians, and all Christians for that matter, are already innately in intimate partnership with one another, because (i) they are all partners in the same Spirit (Philippians 2:1); and (ii) they already have the same mind - the mind of Christ Jesus, given to them when they first, by believing in him, came into partnership with him (Philippians 2:5) (and thus into partnership with each other (Philippians 1:5)). There is no need to manufacture partnership unity because every Christian worth his salt (pun!) is already united with all other Christians.

Yet, as we are later instructed (Philippians 2:12-18), this status quo must be worked out.

What then does it mean to "have this [same] mind among yourselves, which is your in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5)? It seems that its outworking in our lives is that we "do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than [ourselves]" (Philippians 2:4). But this isn't the Ned-Flanders type caricature of the doormat Christian, mild and timid, always blindly optimistic, and always a pushover. It is an image modelled instead on the very nature of God. (Apparently the NIV translation of the Greek in Philippians 2:6 as "Who, being in very nature God" is more accurate than the ESV "who, though he was in the form of God".)

This fairly boggles the brain. While it is often said amongst evangelicals that our humility ought to come with recognising our position before God, as a mere creatures facing our awesome Creator, it is less usually said that this same magnificent Creator who has all power, all authority, all knowledge of the past, present and future, who has always been able to fashion reality according to whim, and who should be rightly worshipped regardless of his character, should have as the core of his being other-person-centredness and humility.

God the Son already had all glory and power at his disposal but he chose not to take advantage of this though his position was rightfully his. Instead his humble nature manifested itself in his intentionally choosing to be born as a mere creature, in his choosing to obey God the Father to die on the cross for our sins (Philippians 2:6-8, Isaiah 53).

And God the Father showed his immense approval of this by vindicating Jesus the Son, exalting him and bestowing upon him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knoee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-10).

With this revelation, can we creatures dare to act higher and mightier than God the Creator and Servant? And with this knowledge, do we not give straightaway, though our mouths are gaping and our heads in a whirl, give glory to God the Father (Philippians 2:11)?

Citizenly Partnership (Philippians 1:12-30)

Last week, a visitor arrived unannounced and proceeded to make herself very comfortable indeed in a rubbish tree in the garden. Her tenaciousness has been amazing. She's outlasted the frightened frog and mystified migrating moth, both of whom arrived that same week and departed soon after. Several days of blazing hot sun that dried up the birdbath we put out for her did not wilt a feather on Mrs. Yellow-vented Bulbul.

And the morning after a particularly thundery stormy night, I went to check on her, heart in mouth, wondering what carnage might have occurred. But there she was still in her nest, still giving me the beady eye. And now, hopefully, the fencing we've put up will keep the neighbourhood cats away until the eggs hatch!

What mileage might be wrung out of such bird-brained single-minded determination might in the hands of a cheesy preacher. But perhaps Paul speaks of an even greater devotion.

Now just waitaminute...

Philippians 1:12-26 might tempt one to laugh long and hard at the next person who calls Christianity a "psychological crutch". The fashionable rallying cries that "unite" the world around their causes are more likely candidates for objets d' baseless fiction.

Where some might talk of healing the world to make it a better place for you and me and the entire human race, or of making a pact to bring salvation back (because it rhymes), they don't usually include in the definition of "human race" nor in the offer of salvation, people to whom it does matter if you're black or white. But Paul's devotion to God's cause is more passionate and hot-blooded and far less wimpily thin-skinned:

Brothers who are emboldened to preach the gospel because Paul has been imprisoned? (Philippians 1:12-18) Ah, praise the Lord for raising up like-minded brethren to continue the good work!

Bitchy preachers who diss Paul in public but to whom thousands flock to listen to the gospel? (Philippians 1:15, 17-18) Well, praise the Lord too because regardless of their false motives, they too preach the gospel!

The choice between resting at last from earthly labour and enjoying eternal rest with Christ and remaining here to continue to suffer, be persecuted, ridiculed, spat on? (Philippians 1:22-26) Ooh. Tough choice. But Option B please, because there is still much more gospel work to be done.

Paul is totally focused on the advance of the gospel - not for the egoistic thrill of seeing the Christian meme conquer the world like an unstoppable borderless virus, nor for the education and good of the masses per se (though this will indeed save many), but ultimately that in the proclamation of what God had done in Christ and in the salvation of many, God would be glorified.

And the Philippians are to have the same goal as Paul, all of them having been saved into this common partnership when they first believed.

Paul then contextualises the concept in a completely non-cheesy way. Philippi is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony (Acts 16), having been granted this privilege for helping to defeat Antony and Cleopatra. The benefits of Roman citizenship are many: free passage throughout the Roman Empire (almost the whole known world), access to global markets, high credit ratings in international business, the protection of a first-world legal system etc. Their Roman citizenship is such a source of civic pride and identity that the Philippians will do anything to defend it. Hence, the extremely hostile reaction of the crowd to Paul and Silas who were accused of advocating customs that are not lawful for "us as Romans to accept or practice" (Acts 16:21-23).

Philippians 1:27 apparently reads, in the Greek, "only let your citizenly conduct" be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Their pride and identity should be wrapped up in their citizenship of heaven. With the more than the fervour with which pagan Philippian mob jealously guards its precious Roman citizenship, Christians are to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind and strive side by side for the faith of the gospel, even as they face opposition.

Ultimately, there should not be and cannot be any dichotomy between the gospel goal that should be their singleminded obsessive partnership and the gospel goal that is an integral part of their current corporate citizenship.

Unfortunately, this last week has shown that even a tiny glimpse of this single-mindedness is scarely alien to this world. At a Sunday lunch chat with church-goers about lives revolving around work, bad bosses, poor pay and career opportunites, the suggestion that perhaps there might be more to life than work and that God's mission might be a worthy goal was met with scornful cries of "Come on, then we might as well all be pastors right?" and "Do you think I'm a nun?!"

A church-going colleague, handing back Christopher Ash's Married For God, just about screamed that marriage for the purpose of serving God was so offensive to the romantic nature of the relationship that she would be put off the institution if she had to adhere to the tenents set out in the book.

Maybe it boils down to whom we think God is and where we think this world is heading. Paul reminds us that one day, we will stand before the judgement throne to be judged for everything we have done in this life. Can we expect and hope that we will not be put to shame then for having lived a life devoid of any eternal value (cf Philippians 1:20-21)?

Gospel priorities are not brownie badge opps for the superspiritual or the professionally religious. God expects this from anyone whom he has been granted to believe in Christ (Philippians 1:29). Because not only are all Christians brought into partnership with each other in the cause of the gospel, they are also brought into partnership with Christ.

See Philippians 2 and 3.

The Pop! Goes Our Hearts Partnership (Philippians 1:1-11)

At the CIMB Singapore International Piano Festival last week, Vladimir Feltsman strode on stage to polite applause before sitting down perfunctorily and launching into J.S. Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat major. The initial excitement of the audience soon gave way to the dawning realisation that there was something very familiar about his style - it had all the symptoms of a child being forced by proud and somewhat musically-clueless parents into playing his Hanon exercises for visitors. Feltsman's use of rubato seemed merely an attempt to allay his boredom rather than to add colour to the piece. Chopin's Polonaises and Ballade No. 3 fared little better though Feltsman actually showed a bit of interest in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition with glimpses of technical brillance and even, emotion. Later, I thought his first encore piece really did sound like piano exercises and recently ex-fan R was insulted by the triteness of his second encore piece.

Travel-weary performing-monkey syndrome theory was put to rest by reports that Feltsman was similarly uninspired in his adopted homeland. The South Florida Classical Review likened "his stage personality and musical style" to "that of an impatient, vaguely irritated professor who wants to get class over with as quickly as possible". Though describing his interpretation was individualistic, The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that "Feltsman's moments of boredom [were] unfortunately obvious". (Edit: Chang Tou Liang's review in the Straits Times probably attempted to be far more constructive and positive.)

What a great contrast between the pianist free to practise his art in front of a willingly-adoring audience and the effusive Paul fettered and mired in opposition as he writes the letter to the Philippians.

Astonishingly, the letter is in a joyous major key with I, IV, V chord progressions, with the main themes of partnership (Philippians 1:7, 4:14-15. 1:27, 2:1, 3:10 (I want to partner in his suffering), 4:2) and what standing firm in partnership might look like (Philippians 1:27 - 4:1), always with an eye on the last day (Philippians 1:11, 4:17).

In his various letters, Paul uses different imagery to describe the relationships between the church and God, and between the members of the church: God is the Father and we are his children and members of one family; Christ is the head and we are parts of one body etc.

Here, he appears to be using the imagery of partnership (κοινωνί). It is not just the loosely bandied "fellowship" which Christians term just about every gathering regardless that there is little difference between such chowtimes/ weekend football sessions/ gossip meet-ups and the gatherings of pagans. The partnership to which he refers is akin (hehheh) to that found in the business world, where people get together and commit to working singlemindedly, and do indeed work passionately, towards a common objective. William Taylor suggests the active, energetic picture of a takeover situation where the accountants, lawyers, business people are working hard overnight with a common target in sight. But more than that, the partners in a partnership relationship are stakeholders; they are in close relationship, each contributing his part, and each sharing in the ups and downs - directly reaping the profits of the success of their enterprise and also directly bearing the losses of the failure of their business.

There is partnership between Christ and the church, and the members of the church with each other. It's not just a shake-hands commercial deal with one eye always on protecting oneself and being ready to sue the other for breach of contract but a real teamship, a heartfelt joint venture. Just as the "affection of Christ" was no Saturday night whisper to be melted away by the stark sunshine of Sunday, but shown in his sacrificial death on the cross, so Paul's love for the Philippians is real - shown in his concern and affection for his partners (Philippians 1:3-4, 1:7, 1:8) and the amazing joy welling up even in his private prayers (Philippians 1:4) because he can see they are keeping in partnership with him (Philippians 1:5, 1:7) even as they all partner with Christ (see later chapters). The evidence of this is their monetary support, their being faced with the same opposition and their standing firm in the gospel (Philippians 1:7).

Christians find each others' testimonies tearduct-tickling. It was really wonderful to hear R's 11-year journey to the faith through the unlikely help of a Nobel Prize winner's book on Barrabas and the Christian (heritage) of favourite poets. Heck. God's sovereignty being, err, really sovereign, even The Simpsons can be his messengers through which he calls his people.

It's easy to start out strong and full of promise (this is a general comment and not specific to prata-buddy's future!). Think of the childstars who crashed and burned when they were no longer cute enough to hide their lack of (other) talent, or the one-hit wonders, or the sportspeople who grew old and weary and then retired to collect royalties from their eponymous range of sports equipment, until those too were retired because their achievements had been eclipsed by others.

How do we know we will last in this partnership with Christ to the end in a world full of temptation and opposition and suffering? And furthermore, churches fester with all sorts types, how can we manage to remain in such intimate partnership with people we can't quite stand the sight of?

Well, we didn't discover the faith under our own steam or through dumbass good luck, but God ultimately who first called us to this salvation. So unsurprisingly, it is he who began a good work in us who will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). And our sharing in Paul's imprisonment (facing the same conflict and opposition and persecution he faced), and our sharing in the defense and confirmation of the gospel (confirmed no doubt also by our standing firm in it), far from being signs that God is punishing us, are signs that God's approval is on us - for Paul considers these part of the grace, the undeserved favour given to us by God (Philippians 1:7)

And yet, in that familiar both-and scenario that is replete through the Bible, we are to rest on God but not on our laurels. Paul prays that the Philippians' love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that they may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, and in the same letter, tells them how they are to do this. No instant makeover from God. Wounds, difficulties, pain and suffering to follow.

Christian camps: camaraderie in the cause of Christ. The joy of Christian service together (and silly games and sillier photographic memories of the same).

This is all with the aim to bring praise and glory to God on that Last Day (Philippians 1:11, 4:17) through our fruits of righteousness, overwhelming evidence of his work in us, a massive harvest, an overflowing bank account because of our faithful gospel partnership.

But more on what remaining in true partnership, what abounding love with knowledge and discernment, looks like to come. Yay!

Greek Masterpieces From Musée du Louvre and Peter O'Brien On Prayer

"We're back from the National Museum," gushed the parentals some months ago, waving about Greek Masterpieces From The Louvre brochures, "they've brought in sculptures from the Louvre. You must go and see them!"
"But we've seen them...at the Louvre!"
"Did not."
"We did. We went to the Louvre, you criticised I M Pei's pyramid, then you said you were bored and wanted to go shopping."
"Oh."

In any case, last Sunday, after Peter O'Brien'd delivered his 64th talk in the last 3 months, I popped across the road to the museum for a gawk.

Surrounding David by Titarubi.
Poor old David's so commodified he's attained pink kebaya-cloth kitsch-ness.

The exhibition was fairly small but decently and thematically-curated. Peter O'Brien, being a bit of a scholar in Paul's New Testament letters, had, earlier in the day, painted many word-pictures and made many references to cultural context in which the letters had been written. Even though these statues preceded Paul by a century, there were probably quite a few of them still mooching around with their Augustan brothers when Paul gandered about Athens during the Late Roman Empire (Acts 17:16-34).

To my initial shame, having always been fond enough of Greek/Roman literature to have an entire bookcase on the subject and Greek/Roman-themed BBS rooms, my main reaction to some (because others looked like really bad copies) of these drapped bodies was one of great appreciation: the proportionality of facial features, bodies and limbs, the rendering of wet himations, and how nice it'd be to have a quiet empty museum for a sit around and a charcoal sketch.

But Paul, I thought when I got home and had a flip through the Book of Acts, had got it spot on. Upon seeing these beautifully proportioned idols, he did not bring out the sketchpad. Instead, his spirit was provoked within him. Barely able to contain himself, he went about arguing against the wisdom of that age, reasoning with Jews and devout persons and professional philosophers (Acts 17:16-34). So my reaction of great appreciation = FAIL. But someone later pointed out: all cultural lor. Not idols to ppl of our time liao.

Pardon me, but your butt is cracking.

Simulacra of the Roman simulacra of the Greek simulacra of...well, maybe no long-dead bird/hunk in particular; the Baudrillardic phase where the simulacra masks the absence of basic reality by being its own pure simulacra, these chipped blocks of marble may be, but they are not meaningless simulacra qua simulacra. Instead, they form part of a system of signification for the ancient Greeks and their Roman copiers/consumers. So the late night chat was a good reminder of the "nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign" of Charles Peirce, the cultural subjectivity of the signifier and the signified, and so the subjectivity of idolatry and therefore the necessary failure of any attempt at legalism.

Nevertheless, such utter incompetence in even identifying the right reaction in any given stimulus is probably a good impetus for prayer. (We had an interesting semiological debate in our DG about the word "prayer", but that's another post.)

Notes from Peter's talks on prayer:

Knowledge, wisdom and understanding and thanksgiving (Colossians 1)
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells them that he is constantly praying for them (Colossians 1:3,9). He asks of God because he knows that God is generous and will not withhold good things from his children. What does Paul pray for? He prays that they will be filled with knowledge so they will please the Lord (Colossians 1:9-10). He prays that they will have all spiritual wisdom and understanding. This wisdom and understanding is not what we think of as guidance from God, not "Lord, what do you want me to do?". Rather it is more about what God wants done in his world and how we can fit into God's plan for the world.

And what pleases God? Bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10b). This does not mean being successful in God's work by the world's standards, but having the fruit of the Spirit to be enabled to do things in a godly way, in growing in love for Christ, in wanting to know Jesus more and more.

It's all very well to talk about these things but how will we be able to do them? Through being strengthened in all power by the Spirit (Colossians 1:11). This same power, this same Spirit, raised Christ from the dead. So it's pretty lethal stuff.

Then Paul returns to thanksgiving. We have all been transferred from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of light. Gaining citizenship of a country like Singapore or Australia's pretty difficult, but the difficulty level is nothing compared to trying to gain citizenship of heaven. Yet, Christians have achieved it through the forgiveness wrought for them in Jesus Christ. It is not only children who find it hard to say "please" and "thank you". Adults struggle as well. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we can now enter God's throne room with boldness. This should encourage us to pray prayers of thanksgiving.

Suffering and Weakness (Romans 8:18-30)
Voltaire was of the opinion that God either couldn't stop suffering or that he had the ability to do so but wouldn't.

We all live in the midst of suffering. But we are told that we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We will share in his suffering before we share in his glory. This tension is not just individual, it is also corporate.

Paul's thesis on suffering and glory is in Romans 8:18 - "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us". Paul was no stranger to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 1, he told the Corinthians that he was being utterly and unbearably crushed; he was so close to death that it was only a whisker away. Paul didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth. But he believed that the glory to come was a sure and certain thing. If it wasn't, then we would do all sorts of things to put our present suffering out of our minds, to try futilely to gain security, to distract ourselves.

The whole of creation is bound up with suffering (Romans 8:20). It was knocked off its perch of God-centredness because of Adam's sin. But again there is the promise that after this suffering will come glory when the sons of God come into glory (Romans 8:21-22). Suffering and glory go together.

And we Christians also groan inwardly (Romans 8:23). We were adopted as sons of God when we first trusted in Christ. But we now wait for that final adoption and the redemption of our bodies. Every time we have to visit the pharmacist or the doctor we are reminded of how our bodies have yet to be redeemed.

And as we wait in hope for this redemption, we continue to suffer and struggle. We are weak. Part of our weakness is that we don't know what we ought to pray for, "ought" meaning in accordance with God's will. This is part of our suffering. There are some people who approach the throne of God with such boldness that they keep telling God what they want over and over again. And when they don't get what they want, they blame God. There are other people who are just at a loss about what to pray for.

But, Paul says, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). There is a content to the Spirit's prayer that we don't know about. Paul is not talking about speaking in tongues. The groanings of the Spirit are wordless. And God who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, not just theoretically but the content of intercessions of the Spirit that are in line with his will. And God answers the intercessions of the Spirit. When we pray, we fire arrows at a target which may go far wide. The Spirit redirects the arrows to make sure we hit the bullseye everytime.

When we were younger, we thought that we could do things on our own strength. But when we are older (and hopefully wiser), we rely more on God and his strength and his power. Nothing is too small for God. He numbers the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7) and does not forget even the littlest bird, the sparrow (Luke 12:6-7).

For those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). God works our good through things that were meant to harm us. Joseph, for example. was sold off by his jealous brothers (Genesis 37). After his many adventures in foreign lands, where he was ill-treated and thrown into prison, Joseph met his brothers again. He was now in a position of power and he could have had them killed (Genesis 42-45). But instead he recognised God's hand in his situation, even where his brothers meant evil, God meant it for good. God had sent him to Egypt before them to preserve their lives (Genesis 45:5-8). This does not mean that there are 2 different experiences but that the 2 are sandwiched into 1, the clearest example of this being the death of God's own Son. Wicked men meant for the destruction of Jesus and they will be held responsible for their actions, but their evil was used by God, and infact predestined by God, for good.

We are encouraged to call upon God. His answer to us will not be brilliance in analysing our situation or in summarising the problem. He will not answer us because our motivation is 100% pure because we are wretchedly corrupt. God will answer us because the Spirit intercedes for us.

And we know that God has infinite resources (Ephesians 3:20). Not only that, but also God doesn't hide away his resources like Scrouge. God gives lavishly. God wants to give abundantly. It's almost as if God is waiting to be asked so that he can give.

Faced with the reality of our own weakness, living in a world that is suffering, prayer is real and practical now. We do not need to wait until we are better before we can pray, nor must we do this or that before we can pray.

Prayer: slick? Unrealistic claims? Full of promises too good to be true? (Philippians 4:6-20)
Slick solution? (Philippians 4:6-9)
The poor Philippians were being pressured from without and being given a hard time. But whatever they were distressed about, Paul told them to be anxious about nothing and instead present their requests to God. ("Anxious"ness being unreasonable heresying care.) This sounds like a slick platitude but Paul was in prison then and knew what he was talking about.

God knows all needs. He clothes the lilies of the field etc (Matthew 6:28-33). They weren't to tell God about their needs because he didn't know them and needed to be updated. But by bringing their requests to him and laying their troubles upon him, they were to demonstrate their dependence on him. And this would strengthen their faith.

Did this mean that all our prayers will be answered? Philippians 4:7 promises one sure result: that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Whether our particular petition is granted or not, we are assured of divine protection against everything. "Peace" isn't a feeling of peace but is that something objective that was done on the corss (Romans 5:1) - reconciliation and salvation. And this peace "transcends all understanding" and is more wonderful than they could imagine.

Philippi was settled by many retired soldiers who had the protection of a garrision or guard. This peace, said Paul, would similarly keep guard over their hearts and minds, those areas of their lives that were vulnerable to attack from desperate heresying care.

Do not be anxious but instead pray and God will guard your hearts and minds. The promise given in Philippians 4:7 is not slick. As I reflect on what God has done for me, this guards me against all sorts of wretched fears.

I can do everything! Unrealistic claim? (Philippians 4:10-13)
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." says Paul. Will nothing be beyond our capabilities if we pray, if we had the same faith that Paul had? But yet, Paul had an extremely long list of things he still suffered (2 Corinthians 11). This is not a triumphalistic promise.

The context explains the promise. Paul says that he is content in all circumstances. He has experienced life at both ends of the economic spectrum and he knows how to live at both ends.

How does he do this? Through Christ who gives him strength. He can do all things, that is, be content in all things through Christ. Compare this with the Stoics who taught that the happy man was the content man. The content man was content in and of himself, due to his innate resources. But Paul knew that it was when he was most conscious of his inadequacy (2 Corinthians 12) that he could most rely on God.

Every need met! A promise that is too good to be true? (Philippians 4:14-19)
The doxology in Philippians 4:19-20 brings to a close the thanks to the Philippians. They have supplied Paul's needs, God will supply theirs. This is not a reciprocal tit-for-tat.

"Every need" does not mean just material things like money, but also the whole host of things that they were up against. They needed to stand firm in persecution (1:27-30), they needed unity where there were divisions (eg. between the 2 quarrelling ladies forever immortalised for posterity in the Bible), they needed to shine like stars in the universe even though they were under pressure.

"in glory" - these needs which they had would be met gradually and partially in the present but would be met fully at the end.

"in Christ Jesus" - Jesus is the only one in whom God's promises are fulfilled. Therefore, only when they are united with him fully would all their needs be met.

Our Spiritual Battle, the Devil and Prayer (Ephesians 6:10-20)
The spiritual dimension in Christianity is often ignored, whether in moral decay or in evangelism. This may have more to do with the Enlightenment than with Scripture. Scripture describes things from the world's viewpoint and also from a cosmic dimension. We neglect these things at our peril. We will not be seeing things as God sees them.

God has already won the decisive victory but the Devil and his minions still exist and still act even though they have lost. They will do anything to snatch away the Word when it is preached. This is especially so at morning tea after Sunday service when people will talk about anything but God's Word. The Devil distracts people so that they do not come to repentance.

In the Ancient Games, the most important, the blue-ribbon event was wrestling. So when Paul talked about wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, he was emphasizing that the battle with evil is close-contact, hand-to-hand combat. If we think that when we evangelise, we are up against flesh and blood, we have misread the battle. We are up against evil.

The attacks against us can be one temptation over and over again. But the Devil can also switch tactics. He has variety and range. The attacks can be internal and external. Uncontrolled anger and the telling of falsehoods are not from the Devil but he can use them to cause strife within the body of Christ.

What is our strategic objective in the battle? It is to stand firm (Ephesians 6:11, 13,14), to stand up against evil powers. We are not to move ahead (which infact, might be a serious wrong) but to stand firm.

Can we take on such a formidable foe with just our own resources? No. But we can do this by relying on the power of God (Ephesians 6:13ff). In actual fact, the victory has already been won by Jesus Christ on the cross. The Devil's final defeat is imminent. Soon, everything will be subject to Christ. We don't have to try to win that victory over and over again. But for the battles in the meanwhile, God has provided mighty armour for us. This is the same armour that the Lord of Hosts fights in in Isaiah 59 and the armour that God's Messiah wears when he goes out to do battle in Isaiah 11. This armour that God himself wears we also wear. This armour is made of truth, righteousness and salvation - aspects of God himself. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ at conversion, we put on his aspects, his armour.

The breastplate of righteousness is protection in knowing that we are right with God. We can't be blackmailed. The Devil cannot tell us that we aren't a good Christian because we haven't read the Bible or haven't prayed. Who will condemn us when Jesus has died for us? If we aren't sure of ourselves, we won't share the gospel. This is the ploy of the Devil.

The sword for battle, the sword of the Spirit, is also the same one used by the Messiah in battle.

The shield of faith refers not to that little round shield which doesn't protect the head or the limbs in a battle but to the full-length one that covered the whole body. It was soaked in water and could quench dangerous missiles - arrows dipped in tar and then lit and shot. The Devil will try to attack us not just with temptation but also persecution and false teaching. We must trust in God's ability to keep us in the midst of battle.

Prayer is essential and crucial to our being armed. Standing firm and prayer are interlinked.

Summary
Thanksgiving is a mark of being Christians. The world may raise complaints and concerns to an art form, but the Christian is forever thankful because we have been transferred from darkness to light.

The Christian may find it difficult to pray aright. But the Spirit, who intercedes for us, hits the bullseye everytime.

There are some promises in Scripture that aren't what we want them to be. They must be read in their contexts.

We need to pray because our struggles are also in the cosmic dimension. The world is natural, the flesh is natural but the Devil is supernatural. If we live only as if there is the world and the flesh but no Devil, we misread the battle. There are ministers of Satan who will tell falsehoods and who are disguised as ministers of the gospel.

But when Jesus clothed us at conversion, he clothed us with armour that the Devil cannot destroy.