Just when you think the impossible has happened (Coco the puppy), we’ve got a second puppy!

Now not only we have Coco to play with, Coco also has Milo as a playmate too. One happy family. Here is Coco playing with Milo:

The universal family

Talking about family, one of the great things about travelling is that wherever there is a church, I also have an eternal family. So I went there, met some familiar faces, and some new faces, but all one in Christ. Bonded by the Spirit, and that is a beautiful reality. Despite the flawed nature of it this side of heaven, this siblingship in the household of God is the only earthly relationship that will last beyond the grave. Hence, it is actually more real than any other. And why wouldn’t it be—for it has been purchased by the blood of Christ. And so we learn to cherish it and be the brother and sister to each other, the people God wants us to be.

I had visited two churches on this trip, and here are some thoughts.

The patience of God ✝︎

We are prone to think in terms of things we see, touch and feel. God has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ, yet we often treat those blessings as though they matter less than earthly ones. In our shortsightedness, we easily value what contributes to our little earthbound kingdom more than what belongs to His eternal one. Notwithstanding God has graciously provided us all we need, including bodily things, yet that’s not really the main thing we make it out to be.

During the Sunday service, we sang a song about there is nothing impossible with the Spirit. It is good and true, but I started wondering as I heard the prayer of the song leader, just what range of different things went through people’s minds that the Spirit made possible? The miracles of the Spirit that were listed out, and things that God has given us, were all earthbound stuff. Not that they don’t matter, but that again, that’s not it. God’s purpose is much bigger than our tiny interests.

The work of the Spirit is the otherwise impossible work of transforming people who want nothing to do with God into people who delight in His kingdom and His name. That we once hated God, now we can love Him. That we were once dead in sin, now alive in Christ. Lost forever, and now heavenbound. Impossible. Yet made possible by the Spirit.

It occurs to me how patient God is with us who are naturally inclined away from Him. He loves us instead of despising us for our flaws. He doesn’t look at our self-centredness and shake His head in disgust, ‘How much longer will you remain so shortsighted and narrow-minded?’ Instead, He still keeps us as His own, pleased to work through us for the good of others, while also working in us for our good.

The longer I live my life, the more I find it amazing that He remains so gentle, patient, gracious, and wise in His dealings with us who are wretched, shortsighted, narrow-minded, selfish, easily distracted, half-hearted, non-committal, forgetful, weak and so flawed. We are prone to make ourselves and all that directly concerns us as the centre of the universe, and we often take ourselves too seriously. We are really quite rubbish, and yet so beloved nonetheless. So, I stand in awe of Him more.

The hunchback lady 👵

There were quite a bit of standing up and sitting down throughout the service than I am used to in Melbourne. The old lady in the row in front of me caught my attention each time we stood up and sat down.

An old woman, hunchback, and clearly with some physical difficulty. She would stand up as she did, and held on to the chair in front of her to support herself. The song could be for awhile when we stood up to sing, especially when it is not very comfortable standing up that way I imagine. But her simple gesture and humble posture was a beautiful sight that stayed with me.

It reminds me of the quadriplegic brother who was praising his God, never mind looking ugly to the rest of us because he has an audience of one.

Reversal of Babel

The talk was great. It’s about the day of Pentecost, and some interpret it as either a miracle of speaking or hearing different languages. The pastor leans to it of speaking i.e., each person was speaking a different language than their own, and the hearers are therefore hearing their own language spoken by someone in the crowd.

In any case, I think the main point remains that Pentecost is the reversal of Babel. At Babel, people were confused and scattered. Here, people understood despite their differences and were united around the gospel.

Yet the goal was never unity for its own sake. They were gathered so they could be sent. The gospel that reached them was now to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. 📢

And that remains our mission today.

The pastor was clearly speaking out of conviction, and hoping for all of us to also catch the zeal of the gospel mission for the good of the world and the glory of God. As he said, it is right to earnestly pray and hope for another significant outpouring of the Spirit as had happened many times in history, and for the revival to start in us individually, and either through us or others, this church or another church, but for God to do His mighty work for the salvation of many souls. Amen to that.

Newsletter and more pointers? 🪧ℹ️

My sis came to one of the churches with me on this trip. She said it’s good but she felt a bit lost as you have no idea what the liturgy was. There was no newsletter handout, so you don’t know what’s next on the order of service—especially for first time visitors.

There was a newsletter in the other church I visited, but no Bible passage, sermon title, or indication of where we were up to in the series. I found that quite odd for a church known for expository preaching.

Even for simple logistics as offerings. Some pointers of what we’re about to do and how it’s done will be helpful, before people started passing around different types of offering bags visitors aren’t sure about, or people started standing up and moving down the aisles to the front where the offering boxes are. Likewise, the doxology at the end was assumed. And there could also be a morning tea after the service that regulars just walk to but which visitors are not told about.

Just little things like that can unintentionally (and unnecessarily) isolate outsiders who have no idea what’s happening around them.

Awareness of outsiders / visitors / non-regulars are the strength of the Melbourne churches I’ve observed compared to Indonesia. It’s not so much incorporated into the way the service is run here in Indo. I imagine if I am new to church, or visiting because I want to explore, I will be so confused ~ even as a Christian, I could be too 😄. But may be because (as I’ve been told) people don’t normally turn up to church by themselves here unless they come with someone they already know who is part of the church. It is a chicken and egg thing isn’t it? May be if the Sunday service culture is made more welcoming, hepful, and comfortable for newcomers, more will actually turn up..?

The impressive 🫡

I had to take a snippet of the choir in one of the churches and send it to our fellow choir mates back in Melbourne. The standard is clearly way above us, and the commitment way beyond us.

Sure, they have ~ 100 in the choir, but isn’t it more amazing they can maintain the high standard all the same?

They have choir item every week as an offering of praise, and they have so many participating that they have different choir groups rotating. We have a choir item only twice a year, during Easter and Christmas, and I hear of recruitment difficulties every single time. They practice every single week, while we have difficulties getting people joining the choir because they have to come to practice in just the few months leading up to the Easter or Christmas service. And let’s not go into the quality of the choir itself—I mean, I’m in the choir! So you know qualification isn’t much of a criteria 😅

Of course the focus is probably different anyway. Their mission statement says the purpose of their choir is

.. to encourage Christian singers, choirs, and musicians to rehearse and perform works of sacred music from great composers to the highest standard.

They certainly live to it. Our purpose will be something else. But whether or not I agree with every emphasis, it is hard not to admire the seriousness with which they pursue what they believe matters.

There were about 40-50 people collecting the offering bags that Sunday (rightly so given the size of the congregation), and I observed they were orderly, well organised. Just the way they go about things, I can tell they have been trained to treat a Sunday service with reverance. Not that everything must be perfect and neat, but certainly we are way too flippant in the West. There is something good with orderliness in the right place and time as it shows where your heart is or how you esteem things.

My friend suggested we visit their Art Gallery (Galeria Sophilia), and so we did. It was located in the tall building right next to the church.

I wouldn’t normally understand what I’m looking at when I stare at an art sculpture, but I find this very fascinating. Not only in how much effort and dedication they pour into what they deem as a cultural mandate, but the docent was so knowledgable as she explained the art sculptures and guided us through the gallery. Such an interesting history to hear and learn about. What they provide there is very educational and a valuable thing for the society (and I know they’ve made it affordable to the general public), really worthwhile a go if you’re in Jakarta.

I certainly plan to go to the other sections of Galeria Sophilia another day. They have more on level 5, and a bigger one on level 6 & 7. It’s really well done and thoughtfully designed.

Lastly,.. the basement is however a different story—the car park at the bottom of the buildings are definitely at the lowest of their priority! It’s a mess to navigate, just like many other parking experience in Indo anyway. But if there’s anything they have to let go in the midst of everything else, it’s not wrong for it to be the car park!