I went to the Love Singapore movement’s annual Pastors’ Prayer Summit of 2010. I liked hearing the movement’s leaders share their hearts, the burden of the Lord’s word, and the vision and strategy of the movement. Here are my personal impressions:
Most Regrettable Decision: Eating the famous Malacca chicken rice balls from an imitation stall, even though forewarned by a pastor who was patronizing the restaurant. I mean any Malaccan food can’t be that bad right? Wrong! The chicken was as tough as LKY; as juiceless as coconut husks; as tasteless as licking the floor; and as hopeless as asking for lower GST. It was a new definition of kampong, range-bred chicken. The side dishes were unremarkable, and our eyebrows raised when we saw the bill. Adventure turned disaster. We were bombed, and we asked to be bombed! The next day, we sought and ravished the real thing at Jonker Street, after a fifteen minutes walk in what was like a frying pan. The truth must be told: there was a heaven and hell difference in taste and texture.
Most Interesting View: The view from the fifteenth floor of the Renaissance Hotel in Malacca made me curious about the red roofed traditional kampung houses embraced by the slow, lazy but clean Malaccan river. I was dying to find out what that neighbourhood was all about.
Most Sobering Moment: When I saw security guards at the foyer of the main auditorium at every meeting.
Most Medicinal Value: The emcees, Pastors Guna Raman and Lawrence Chua, had such chemistry and finesse, in delivering dry, depreciating humour that tickled tired pastors desperately in need of holy laughter. They introduced each of the speakers with a humourous banter. Instead of raising expectations and building credibility, in clean and funny tease, they chopped at the pedestals we had put these pastors on, and to everyone’s delight, equalized the field and increased the connect.
Most Impactful Message: The message by Lawrence Khong on how God wants to enjoy and take delight in us (Psalms 45). It was a message we pastors needed to be reminded over and over again. My twist on it is that prayer is not about us performing to standard or custom; its about Him enjoying our company.
Most Refreshing Time: I had a good few hours in the hotel room just sitting in His presence in silence and solitude. Its good to know He enjoys my company. Rest in the Lord and be still.
Most Threatening Moments: When we had supper with pastor friends like Kenny Fam to catch up on news and ministry; and cholesterol up with mee goreng, nasi goreng and Ramli burgers.
Most Interesting Walk: Vincent and I took a walk around the Malay village living museum. We crossed a bridge and walked leisurely by the pavements lining the snaking river peering into charming wooden houses with colorful curtains and decorations. A living kampung in the heart of high rise buildings and busy streets.
Most Striking Impression: I have not been to the Pastors Prayer Summit for about seven years. As I surveyed the pastors walking, standing, talking in groups I recognized many of them by their names or faces. It struck me that many now looked older. Grey hair, less hair, no hair; heavier frames, wrinkled, tired looks, hunched postures. I remarked to Vincent, “Everyone looks older. When they look at us, they’re probably seeing us the same way we see them. Haha.” The generation that came to Christ in their teens in the 1970’s and answered the call in the 80’s and 90’s, after many decades of faithful service, are now in their fifties and sixties! It was plain to me that the greatest need of the Singapore church was for us to raise, mentor and release a new generation of sons into glory.
Most Tasty Meal: Hotel food cooked en masse for big crowds always carry a certain sameness that crashes the appetite. It was outside the hotel, at a Yong Peng coffeeshop that I tasted my best meal. Pastor Vincent, my roomate, wanted some Hockchiew food. We discovered that both our fathers were Hockchiew. So we were aiming to go to this restaurant he knew, but it was closed so we tried this other one and we enjoyed the meal as thoroughly as the dish was red in colour and the chicken meat tender.
Most Magical Moment: Lawrence Khong took the old vision of Love Singapore and put it in the hat of the seven gates of influence. He waved the magic wand, and the ‘old rabbit’ disappeared and the new ‘seven coloured rabbit’ appeared. Its actually the old rabbit, but it looked new. And we were inspired! Now, that’s what I call the magic of Lawrence Khong! It has to be a supernatural grace. There is no other explanation.
Most Inspiring Story: The transformational story of how God used a small church in Phuket to have a mega impact on the city. Pastor Burton, a British Assemblies of God missionary told us how the Lord can move to reduce corruption among local government officials and establish God’s justice in the city through leaders being born again.
Did any New Creation church pastors attend? Who if any? Is it true that NCC does not participate in main churches or other charismatic churches events?
I am not sure if they were there, but I once saw Joseph Prince at a Love Singapore senior pastors luncheon/dialogue.
Have posted my entry on PPS, as well as photos of our Malacca Food Festival. 😉
Hey Ps Kenny,
I was privileged to be at this year’s PPS too, my 2nd overall, first time last year. Came with our SP Kenny and 4 other pastors from our church. I must have bumped into you in the hallways, lifts, or eating halls. Yet to post my own reflections, but was truly blessed too.
Btw, I managed to eat at the original Chicken Rice ball corner shop, opposite the Durian Chendol shop. No big signs, no “Famosa” claims, but really nice, simple, tasty… One of my pastor colleagues commented, it’s more like Malacca Food Festival. Haha, on that note, I began taking photos of every meal as a collage. Be sure to check it out once I post my PPS reflections. 🙂
I was with Kenny. Had he told me you were around I would have caught up with you over breakfast or something. Hope you find time to write and post your reflections.
What a lot of fodder to digest =) Thanks!
There were 452 pastors and ministry leaders from 69 churches and 18 organizations, and about 60 to 80 are from Mandarin speaking works.
2 sessions were about spending time with God and giving it priority(Lawrence Khong & Lawrence Chua). 1 session was about divine discipline (“the Flip side of Love” by Derek Hong). 2 sessions were vision-casting(Lawrence Khong). We also had corporate silent prayer after each mornings devotional talk.
They were quite careful to accomodate the non-charismatics and the Mandarin speaking without bending backwards to break their backs, as there seem to be a easy and mature acceptance of each other’s distinctives among the pastors.
By the way, New creation church and City Harvest were represented too.
Thanks Blogpastor for your sharing. I’ve always wondered what goes on in such meetings. I love to go to meetings when Christians from different churches gather. Anyway, maybe you could share more about some things like:
1) What were the messages about and who were preaching?
2) What is the purpose of LS?
3) Were there many non-charismatic church pastors/leaders present? I ask this because I had always felt uneasy over 10 years ago whenever the Love Singapore movement had meetings (like those prayer meetings before National Day which I loved to attend, I think organized by LS) where it was quite openly charismatic – the people there were encouraged to pray in tongues during such meetings. “Everyone, let’s pray in tongues for the next 1-2 minutes…” I’m a charismatic and tongues-speaker, but for the sake of attracting and being able to fellowship with my non-charismatic brothers and sisters who would be offended at tongues-speaking and other charismatic stuff, I would definitely be OK with attending a LS meeting that is not so overtly charismatic.
I’ve always felt movements like this ought to be more accommodating to different kinds of Christians – especially the non-charismatics. I’m wondering what the reach of LS is and also that of GDOP.
Hopefully with LK now up there again, we’ll get more inter-church meetings, etc. Any plans for some prayer meeting before our National Day?
You do not need to be a Pastor to attend. lay leaders and parachurch leaders are also welcomed. There were also plenty of sisters there and you could have felt at home. Next year, simply sign up and pay up yourself (so no need church sponsorship, etc) but you will need to be a leader of sorts as you will need your Pastor’s endorsement, Shalom
Thanks for the info.
I am sure there were women attending the summit. My response to Kenny was to include daughters in the phrase “new generation of sons into glory” Kenny knows why I am like that! Right, Kenny?
In Singapore I am not a leader at the church where I am a member so pastor may not endorse me! Never mind…
Being a non-pastor in Singapore, I never get to hear about such summits. Sigh. Would have love to have attended it.
Anyway, I agree with you “It was plain to me that the greatest need of the Singapore church was for us to raise, mentor and release a new generation of sons into glory.” But Brother Kenny, please for this friend’s sake, include the daughters, too?
Hockchiew food – that’s my heritage, too, Brother Kenny. You can find it in Singapore, too. Call me…we go “siak pong” together with our spouses whose dialects may provide other gourmet adventures but for now…we try Foochow food in Singapore lah.
More power to you O Pentecostal Pastor-Scholar-Mentor.
If I knew you were interested, I would have notified you O Methodist Pastor-Mother-Wife of Dr Lim Swee Hong.
Never mind. Thank you for all those “titles” but I can only wear wife of LSH and mother of DEZ.