Opinion

Handicapped boy searching books at library in school The Straits Times reported on 4 Nov 2016 that the government would be extending the Compulsory Education Act, which was passed in Parliament in 2000, to special needs children. This will take effect in 2019. Minister for Education (Schools) Mr Ng Chee Meng said that this is […]

Here’s food for thought: how can a humdrum activity like boot polishing bring young girls closer to God? In The Girls’ Brigade (GB) 1st Singapore Company at Methodist Girls’ School (MGS), we polish our boots every time we are in full uniform, and that can be several times in a month. The frequency increases during […]

John Wesley (1703-1791). Engraved by anonymous engraver and published in Thomas Dugdale Curiosities Of Great Britain, United Kingdom, 1845. A Methodist pastor once made a bold assertion that the unique thing about Methodism is that there is nothing unique about it. By saying that, he was echoing a prejudice held by Christians who assumed that […]

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is arguably one of the most theologically complex and creative figures in 18th-century England. Scholars almost unanimously agree that it would be a misnomer to describe Wesley as a “systematic theologian” because of the disparate and somewhat diffused character of his corpus. But to give Wesley the polite designation […]

Conceptual Christian cross on a little rock island in the ocean or sea with waves and the sky at sunset banner I have sometimes wondered if our church members understand what it means to be a Methodist. Recently, we have had many new members from South India added to our Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference churches.  […]

One of the simplest but most profound definitions of Christian worship comes from the pen of the influential Russian Orthodox theologian, Georges Vasilievich Florovsky (1893-1979). “Christian worship,” he wrote, “is the response of men to the Divine call, to the mighty deeds of God, culminating in the redemptive act of Christ.” While worship is “primarily […]

Whenever we come forward to worship, what do we think of? We probably think of many things – the piano, organ, drum, guitars – and many other activities like singing, prayers, sermon, offerings etc. Thus, our mind is very often preoccupied in performing and assessing these, and hopefully along the way we get a good […]

Easter Day is the opening day of this season which spans a period of eight Sundays, or 50 days to be exact. Endorsed by the late second- and early third-century Latin theologian Tertullian, the 50 days of the Easter season is a period of great joy and gladness, for the explosive force of the Lord’s […]

  At the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, there is a Glory brighter than ten thousand suns that I can only see in reflection. It is a Glory that transcends Earth and Heaven, Illuminating every corner of my consciousness for it is the primal light of the Son of God triumphant […]

‘Discipleship’ may seem to be a well-worn topic, but it is the most important and fundamental condition for the continued growth, vigour and vitality of the church. The church disregards discipleship at its own peril. The gradual demise of churches in the West is testament to this. We are reminded and cautioned whenever we visit the […]

Anxious for Nothing God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul by John MacArthur, Jr. Published by David C. Cook   Late last year, I experienced bouts of anxiety over the smallest matters. Did I lock the door when I left the house? Did I send a confidential work email to the wrong recipient? This […]

The practice of discipleship is well-known among Christians. There are books describing it and materials to help us. But a key question is this: Is our practice of discipleship just technique or does it really help us become disciples? The Greek for “disciple” means “learner”, persons who discipline their life to learn from a master […]