GBC Prayer Retreat - 6 Jan 2007

Jon Chee and myself stepped out of the car and walked towards the sea at East Coast Park. “It is a beautiful morning,” I said. Jon replied, “Yeah, it is. I also thought so as I woke up and saw the skies this morning.” It was a beautiful morning; a warm, blue respite from the many grey days of torrential rain we’ve been having in Singapore.

We walked over to the group of people mulling about a park shelter – faithful “pray-ers” from Grace Baptist Church. It was the first of the church’s quarterly prayer retreat at East Coast Park. I was delighted to see the 30 or so familiar faces, all gathering together to pray for the church early on this fine, balmy morning. I was even more delighted to see Jiam as she joined the group 15 minutes later with her parents; she was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. I thought it was good of Jon and Jiam to join us in prayer; they definitely bought the average age of the people gathered this morning down substantially. And I was delighted to see that they have grown; to have committed to come early in the morning for prayer when sleeping in on a Saturday morning is a usual habit for the younger people in Singapore.

We sang hymns, and in between sips of coffee, I listened to Swee Hin sharing on 2 Chronicles 16:9. He asked for us to meditate on Luke 14:25-35. We then left the shelter for 40 minutes or so to walk among the coastal trees to find our own individual little space to pray, read the bible and talk to God.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?” I read Luke 14:34 (NRSV). I remembered that salt is commonly used as preservative in the days of the Jews as recorded in the bible. Salt also has value - it was also used in barter trade where it was traded for other goods like clothe, olive oil, other food products. However, we cannot eat salt alone, besides being unpalatable, it will cause hypertension and a host of other related disease. It has value when preserving foods – salted meat, salted fish or salted vegetables. “It has value only when it is used for others”, I mouthed to myself as I sat on the stone bench under the casuarina tree gazing at the azure sea. Is that what Jesus meant in these verses? When He asked his disciples to count the cost of being a disciple, was he also saying that as disciples when we unreservedly follow him; we are to also be used on the behalf of others? Am I a salty disciple?

We gathered back in four smaller groups to pray. After which as one group, we gathered under the shelter to sing hymns, share and pray.” “…… I pray that Grace Baptist Church will be a salty church,” Kim Meng said. My ears pricked up; and my soul resonated. “Salty disciple? Salty church? God, is this your challenge for me this new year in 2007? To be a salty follower on the way of Jesus? Is this your call for the church as well?” I wondered in between my sips of tea.

We ended in prayer and as I was walking back to my car with Jon, I prayed that I would be a salty disciple this year; and that Grace Baptist Church would be a salty church.

Ollie

Jan 2007