The last sentence of the Apostles’ Creed in verse

“I believe in the Holy Ghost…”
The great Spirit of God, the Helper, the Dove,
would descend when the Christ sent Him and ascended above,
to do greater works through His strong power and might,
and cause the glory of Jesus to be clear in our sight.

“…the holy catholic church…”
Diverse peoples as one- gospel unity-
was how the Triune God planned the purposed mystery
of the Church so the wisdom and glory of He
would be made known to all powers and authorities.

“…the forgiveness of sins…”
Forgiven, found favored and counted as free,
the full payment for debts owed was cancelled for me.
Not cheaply but at cost to God’s own precious Son,
the full payment for sin in His suffering was done.

“…the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting…”
Even when my flesh is sown, spent and sore,
from this husk He will raise me to so much more.
The resurrection hope, eternity of breath;
the empty tomb crushes, reverses death

“…Amen.”
Let it be, even so, let is be as we say
for our loud “Amens” in the way that we pray
through the mediating work of our faithful High Priest,
for whose sake the Almighty will hear the littlest and least.

Remembering some milestones, randomly

When I was 15, I heard Uncle Roy describe how big God was, that all the oceans of the world were a drop in His hand. I cried when I saw other Christians worshiping God.

In 2002, I sat with Joshua outside the secondary four classrooms and we talked about how video games make you impatient, angsty, and maybe it had to do with demonic control. I had stopped playing LAN just before that.

When I was 17 I sat with Ian at CCAB campsite and asked to name 3 places in the Bible it said that God loves us.

I sat across from very imposing looking men wearing black, and ladies with white pearls, feeling lousy and demoralized. We screamed when they announced our victory, and Chalat went to get our trophy.

In 2004, I complained to Charles that nothing was for certain and there was no such thing as absolute truth. He smiled at me.

I sat across the canteen table from WQ when he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. He looked at me with disbelief when I told him I just wanted to do ministry.

When I was 18, I was worried that a good friend was gay when he asked me to go for a walk with him. He told me that I had been a help in his life, pointing him to God.

On Pulau Tekong, a very large man that everyone was afraid of asked me how he could get close to God. His name was Isaac, and I didn’t know him well. I remember looking at the stars and asking God to sustain me and get me through the week.

When I turned 19, I walked down the Bodine corridor, feeling like Philadelphia was the coldest and cruelest place on earth, and that I had left the world behind in Singapore.

On my 21st birthday, I got on a plane to Mexico City, where I had Mexican sushi, and led a student to Christ at a Communist polytechnic.

In 2008, I saw an old lady kneeling at the French silver star in the Nativity grotto, dolling out her medicines from all her pockets and rubbing them on the star. I realized how theology changes everything. That same trip, I sat in the church where Peter was reinstated, and I confessed my sins.

In 2009, Mark Dever gave me a book to help me answer my questions and doubts regarding predestination and free will in Washington DC. That act of pastoral oversight and kindness, I will never forget.

At the age of 23, I returned to the army, where a commando encik promised to make my life living hell, and an evil secretary tried to manipulate me endlessly for her own ends. God saved me from both, and showed me great kindness.

In June 2011, I woke up in Devon, Exeter, and felt like my life was unraveling. Despite the tea, the scones and the great company, nothing tasted sweet.

In December 2011, a friend of 15 years finally bowed the knee to Jesus Christ, and stood to be counted as a follower of the Master.

How did I get here to where I am today? Step by step, bit by bit, grace upon grace. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

"

What brave bright spirit lit your mind
And fired up your eye?
Be this the beacon that defined
The circle of your sky?

Did you divine within your sphere
Of silent crystal wrought
The heavy hands of time and fear
Around the neck of thought?

Were you prepared within your heart
To drink this draught of woe,
To say farewell and then depart
For places none would go?

Yet here you are upon this strand
Of sixfold human strain
Between the roaring ocean and
The land of summer grain;

And here you strive against a host
From castles built in air,
Each lance extended essays past
A token of despair.

And still you parry every blow
And blunt each slashing blade,
Learning more each day to know
From every escapade.

For even as you think you think
And thought that you were taught,
The clever thing to which you drink
Is never getting caught.

And also raise a toast – you must! –
To all your fallen friends
Who missing deadlines came to dust
And other sticky ends.

Give voice to hope and hope to voice,
The sun is gold on blue!
Never regret your childhood choice
To do what you must do.

Remember dauntless heroes now
Who gave their hope to God
And flicked the sweat upon their brow
Upon this humble sod.

Rise up, young student, on the wings
Of eagles carved in stone
And hope the sunlit future brings
More than this rock alone.

For what brave heart and brilliant mind
Can stand the test of time,
Unless with pen and ear refined
They give it up to rhyme?

"

Cleaning out the house…

leads to incredible emo and uncovering of lost artifacts from a different time. This exercise really does bring back a flood of memories. Chief amongst those memories is the reality that teenage romance really is a wonderful, powerful thing. It really really is. And it is an amazing thing to have loved that way, and to have been loved that way.

—

Robert Herrick

“GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
    Old time is still a-flying :
And this same flower that smiles to-day
    To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
    The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
    And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
    When youth and blood are warmer ;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
    Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
    And while ye may go marry :
For having lost but once your prime
    You may for ever tarry.”

Poem I wrote in 2003 (at least)

I dug this up today, and was quite moved by it:

I said, “Let me walk in the field,”
He said, “No, walk in the town.”
I said, “There are no flowers here!”
He said, “No flowers, but a crown.”

I said, “But the skies are black,
There is nothing but noise and din!”
And He wept as He sent me back
“There is more,” He said, “There is sin.”

I said, “But the air is thick!
And fog is veiling the sun!”
He answered, “Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone.”

I said, “I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say.”
He answered, “Choose tonight
If I am to miss you, or they.”

I pleaded for time to be given
He said, “Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide.”

I cast one look at the fields
Then set my face to the town
He said, “My child, do you yield
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?”

Then His strength came to mine
And into my heart came He
And I walked in a light divine
The path I had feared to see.